CHICAGO—McDonald’s is tweaking its menu and considering bigger changes. The QSR has begun testing cold brew coffee in Southern California, Restaurant Business reports. The limited-time pilot serves the cold brew black over ice. A version called Marble Cold Brew is also available that combines coffee with a creamy syrup and cream on top. The new coffee can be made with current equipment, making it an easy add-on for locations. Cold coffee drinks continue to be popular in the U.S., with more than 70% of Starbucks beverage sales coming from cold drinks.
McDonald’s is also piloting selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts at some Louisville, Ky., locations.
On April 27, the burger chain will add Big Mac sauce dip cups to U.S. stores for a limited time. Customers will be able to order the dipping cups only via the McDonald’s mobile app.
“From dipping your fries and Hash Browns to making your favorite sandwiches extra saucy, the possibilities are endless. Whatever way you choose to Big Mac sauce-ify your order, we're here for it,” McDonald’s said in a statement, that also read in part, “because we all love a good throwback, the dipping cups feature retro blue and silver packaging inspired by the OG Big Mac sandwich wraps.”
This week, McDonald’s also announced changes to the Big Mac and McDouble as well as its cheeseburger, double cheeseburger and hamburger. Those changes include softer, pillowy buns, “perfectly melted cheese” and more Big Mac sauce.
“I’ll always remember my first burger from McDonald’s. And now my culinary team and I have the best job in the world: thinking about ways to bring even more of that iconic McDonald’s taste to fans,” said chef Chad Schafer, senior director of culinary innovation, McDonald’s USA, in a press release. “We found that small changes, like tweaking our process to get hotter, meltier cheese and adjusting our grill settings for a better sear, added up to a big difference in making our burgers more flavorful than ever.”
The revised burgers were piloted internationally and are now available in many West Coast cities, including Los Angeles, Seattle and Portland.