In an era where portions are shrinking, McDonald’s is going in the opposite direction with the introduction of its largest burger to date, the “Big Arch.” Weighing in at an impressive 14 ounces, this burger is nearly double the size—and caloric content—of the iconic Big Mac.
Launching this week across McDonald’s locations in Canada, the Big Arch is set to make its way into the U.S. market soon.
The burger is expected to become a permanent item on McDonald’s core menu, which will be available in all 42,000 of its restaurants worldwide. This marks the first major addition to the menu since Chicken McNuggets were introduced in 1983.
Developed in McDonald’s test kitchen at their corporate headquarters in Chicago, the Big Arch is a calorie-packed creation with 1,030 calories. It features two quarter-pound beef patties, three slices of processed white cheese, crispy onions, slivered onions, pickles, lettuce, and a new tangy sauce, all served on a sesame and poppy seed bun.
“It’s so craveable, even the Hamburglar has set his sights on it!” McDonald’s stated in a press release. “The Big Arch was created to satisfy our guests’ craving for a burger that truly satisfies.”
The burger has already sparked conversations on Reddit, where Canadian customers have started sharing their experiences. One commenter from Calgary described it as “the love child of a double quarter-pounder and a Big Mac.”
Michael Eats, a Toronto-based food reviewer, highlighted the standout feature of the burger: “The Big Arch sauce. It has an almost citrusy brightness that cuts through the richness of the patties and cheese. It’s quite tasty, which is good because this is a very saucy burger; they gave me two napkins, and that was just barely enough.”
The release of the Big Arch comes at a time when McDonald’s is facing challenges, including declining sales, rising costs, and intense competition in the $1 trillion quick service restaurant market.
“It’s a street fight,” McDonald’s Chief Financial Officer Ian Borden told analysts in April, as reported by Restaurant Business Online. “Everyone is competing for fewer consumers.”
McDonald’s serves 2.5 billion hamburgers annually, equating to 75 burgers every second. However, the Big Arch is a bold move for the chain, especially following several high-profile flops, such as the Arch Deluxe in 1996. Despite a massive $300 million marketing campaign, the premium-priced Arch Deluxe failed to win over customers, partly due to its high price and the inclusion of “Dijonnaise,” a mustard-mayonnaise blend that didn’t appeal to the masses.