OAK BROOK, Ill. – Competitors won’t be able to knock McDonald’s for using frozen beef patties for much longer. McDonald’s USA unveiled plans to roll out fresh beef patties in all Quarter Pounder burgers in a majority of the company’s restaurants.
McDonald’s began testing fresh beef in 325 restaurants across the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas market and 77 restaurants in Tulsa, Oklahoma. By mid-2018, Quarter Pounder, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, the Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe and Signature Crafted Recipe burgers will be made using fresh beef patties.
Lopez Foods is among the companies that participated in the test phase and will supply fresh beef to McDonald’s. “This represents a strong partnership between McDonald’s, Lopez Foods and their other beef suppliers to support this initiative and deliver McDonald’s quality standards,” Ed Sanchez, president and CEO of Lopez Foods, said in a statement. “It was exciting to be part of the test and we look forward to bringing fresh beef to more McDonald’s customers in 2018.”
McDonald’s President and CEO Steve Easterbrook said the move to fresh beef from frozen represents “… a series of bold, tangible changes” in the eating experience for McDonald’s.
“Serving All-Day Breakfast, moving to cage-free eggs and testing delivery are all proof of our commitment to build a better McDonald’s,” Easterbrook explained. “And we are committed to transforming more aspects of our business, including offering a more modern and enjoyable dining experience, adding new levels of convenience and technology, and making more positive changes to the food we serve.”
Chris Kempczinski, president of McDonald’s USA, hinted that more changes are on the way. “Over the last two years, we have accelerated the pace of change around how we source and serve our food,” he said. “Delivering fresh beef that’s prepared when our customers order their food is just another example of how we are raising the bar. We’re just getting started, and can’t wait to show you what’s next.”
