McDonald's decision to ditch frozen for fresh beef on the iconic Quarter Pounder is majorly affecting sales—in the best way. According to USA Today, purchases are up 30 percent.
"Our customers are loving it," McDonald’s senior vice president of supply chain management, Marion Gross, said in an interview with the outlet. "We sold 40 million more Quarter Pounder burgers nationally in the first quarter of this year compared to the quarter in 2018."
They're not the only fast food giants to opt for fresh either. Wendy's, Culver's, Five Guys, Whataburger, Shake Shack, In-N-Out, and Smashburger all advertise no frozen beef, Gross said.
"Customers tell us they have an interest in understanding where it comes from, what goes into it and how is it prepared," he continued. "We’re trying to be more transparent and make some necessary changes to delight our customers as we embark on our journey to be a better McDonald’s."
According to Gross, the change from frozen to fresh was a huge shift for the company. However, fresh beef is still not used at locations in Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. Territories.
Earlier this year, after the brand's Signature Crafted Recipes failed to draw sales, execs decided to nix the products and introduce more Quarter Pounders.
"They've had success with fresh beef," senior restaurant analyst at the Telsey Advisory Group, Robert Derrington, told USA Today in April. "It appears they don't need to supplement the higher end of their menu. Instead, they can do that successfully with their core products with updated ingredients."
