From new sandwiches and snacks to sustainable initiatives, McDonald's is pulling out all the stops in 2025.
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00:00From new sandwiches and snacks to sustainable initiatives, McDonald's is pulling out all
00:05the stops in 2025.
00:08Getting more for your money at the McDonald's counter is a smashing way to get the new year
00:12started.
00:13Inspired by the spirited response to the company's introduction of the $5 value meal last summer,
00:18the head honchos have opted to continue with the bargain bag and expand the concept to
00:22include new McValue menus filled with eats and treats that are poised to compete.
00:27I would consider the $5 menu sort of chapter one of a multi-chapter value playbook that
00:33we're going to be writing."
00:34But the bargains aren't without a tricky twist that might keep your money from going as far
00:38as you'd like.
00:39Rather than being a simple value menu, Ronald's Place is introducing Buy One, Add One, where
00:44customers can toss an extra item in the bag for just a dollar or more after purchasing
00:49a regular-priced item from the menu.
00:51For the breakfast version, this includes four popular McDonald's menu items — hash browns,
00:56the Sausage Burrito, the Sausage McMuffin, and the Sausage Biscuit.
01:00On the lunch and dinner version, you can pick up six piece McNuggets, a double cheeseburger,
01:05small fries, and the McChicken sandwich.
01:07There will also be in-app discounts and local deals that diners should be on the lookout
01:11for.
01:13Fast food fans in the U.S. may have caught wind of a McDonald's mega-sandwich called
01:17the Big Arch Burger rolling off assembly lines in 2024.
01:21Launched as a test item in three international markets, this supersized stack-up consists
01:27of two quarter-pound patties with all the fixings and a new special sauce.
01:31Providing a ginormous item like the Big Arch was a direct reply to customers' outcry for
01:35larger portions to feed supersized appetites.
01:39McDonald's heard the message loud and clear and stepped up to provide its audience an
01:42extra-large serving of its favorite feast-worthy fare.
01:46Seeing as the response to McDonald's Animal Free McPlant Burgers was not as encouraging
01:50as the company had hoped, it seems the Golden Arches has turned tail and opted to offer
01:55even more animal protein instead.
01:58Word on the street is the Big Arch will show up on U.S. menus before 2025 is over, though
02:03an exact date isn't known.
02:05There's never been any question regarding McDonald's' aim to spread their Golden Arches
02:09as far around the world as they can manage.
02:12In the coming years, expansion plans will include a glut of new locations.
02:16The company aims to operate 50,000 restaurants by 2027, which means a steady rollout of around
02:2210,000 new locations between then and 2024.
02:26How many of those are planned to be U.S.-based?
02:28A press release from late 2023 puts the number at 900, while the Associated Press reports
02:341,900 company-owned locations will pop up in the U.K., Canada, Australia, and Germany.
02:40The remaining 7,000 or so will be global franchises, with more than half located in China.
02:46It's the fastest period of growth in the company's history.
02:50In one of the most notable brand team-ups in the fast food sphere, McDonald's introduced
02:54Krispy Kreme Donuts in the second half of 2024.
02:57The partnership forged a connection between the two major fast food names and also solved
03:02the issue of the relatively limited reach of Krispy Kreme's modest 357 outlets.
03:07With the aim for all McDonald's locations in the U.S. to be serving glazed rings by
03:11the end of 2026, there will be pastries aplenty in locations throughout 2025.
03:18There's no question that a sweet treat at the end of a hearty McMeal is a tempting prospect,
03:22and the quality and familiarity of Krispy Kreme makes the potential for add-on sales
03:26something of a no-brainer.
03:27McDonald's says customers won't have to worry about the 11 a.m. breakfast cutoff anymore
03:32because donuts sell all day long.
03:36And since Krispy Kreme's product line doesn't compete directly with McDonald's ice cream-based
03:40desserts, incorporating a goodie with built-in pedigree into the menu of a fast food colossus
03:46could be a big win for both companies.
03:48In other words, consumers can expect sweet synergy to ensue as soon as more outlets start
03:53peddling these pastries.
03:55The notion that McDonald's soft-serve machines never work is an urban folk legend decades
04:00in the making, and there's no telling how many sales the company has lost as a result.
04:05However, 2025 may give the tale a happy ending no one saw coming.
04:09Moving forward, there should be far fewer issues with broken soft-serve machines thanks
04:13to a new regulation that allows stores to facilitate their own fixes.
04:18The reason this was an issue in the first place was a copyright law called the Digital
04:21Millennium Copyright Act, which forbade McDonald's locations from tinkering with the dispensers
04:26on their own due to proprietary code that makes the machines run.
04:30Thanks to a court ruling in McDonald's favor, a newly implemented regulation that started
04:35in 2024 will allow vendors outside of the company that manufactures the machines to
04:40fix, quote,
04:41"...retail-level commercial food preparation equipment."
04:44This means restaurants are finally allowed to call a repair person whenever the machine
04:48breaks.
04:49Maybe now you can count on getting your McFlurry when you want it, and not just when the soft-serve
04:53machine gods are feeling merciful.
04:55The only question is, would fries be the perfect spoon?
05:00For several years, McDonald's has been publicizing its ongoing introduction of more sustainable
05:05materials into its Happy Meal toys.
05:07With so much plastic being pushed through the pipeline with these collectible playthings,
05:12the new direction would be a tremendous shift toward a smaller carbon footprint.
05:16A plan announced in 2021 revealed the company's aim to reduce the use of new petroleum-based
05:21plastics by 90 percent compared to its 2018 use.
05:25With 2025 projected as the finish line, the transformation of the toy production process
05:30into a more environmentally responsible endeavor worldwide seems to be on schedule.
05:35While we don't know what the new toys will be made of, company notifications mention
05:39that they will contain, quote,
05:40"...renewable, recycled, and certified materials."
05:44It also pointed out that markets in France, the UK, and Ireland had reduced the use of
05:48virgin plastics by 30 percent by 2021 with this modern reimagining of how to make McPlay
05:54things more planet-friendly.
05:55Additionally, an effort to repurpose older Happy Meal toys in Japan has turned the abandoned
06:01plastics into new trays for use in restaurants to further limit plastic use.
06:06Completion of the enterprise in 2025 should be a feather in the cap for the chain's commitment
06:10to its sustainability goals.
06:13Seemingly endless pieces of plastic and paper waste are part and parcel of every McDonald's
06:17dining experience.
06:19But the company has kept its eye on the prize in their efforts to find renewable resources
06:23for its packaging and utensils.
06:26In 2025, there will be a corporate effort to introduce these more responsible materials
06:30to the McDonald's experience.
06:32As McDonald's announced on their corporate website, Hong Kong locations have replaced
06:36plastic utensils with wood, and plastic straws have been transformed into stylus trays in
06:41Canada.
06:42Additionally, plastic McFlurry lids are being phased out in favor of a more environmentally
06:47friendly four-flap cup.
06:49A graphic on the company website notes proudly that 99.6 percent of its fiber-based packaging
06:54is created from either recycled materials or certified sources.
06:58By the end of 2025, the McDonald's pledge is to make that number 100 percent.
07:03As a partner project, there are also plans in the works to introduce recycling programs
07:07in all restaurants, closing the circle on a troubling aspect of the convenience-friendly
07:12fast food model.
07:14Even fast food fashion needs a refresh every once in a while, and 2025 is set to be the
07:19year that UK McDonald's workers get their threads upgraded.
07:23A makeover?
07:26Though comfort and functionality are part of the reasons for the shift, the change also
07:30extends from the company's quest for sustainability.
07:33After all, the longer uniform pieces last, the less waste they'll cause.
07:37Rather than doing a complete overhaul every few years, McDonald's intends to bring about
07:41pieces for uniforms that can be augmented when necessary.
07:45That way, entire uniforms won't be tossed in favor of new designs.
07:49And speaking of sustainability, the McD strategy for these new duds is to use clothing that
07:54is both made from recycled materials and can be recycled when no longer useful.
07:59In a refreshing admission, the document published by the company detailing the New Year's plans
08:03notes that currently none of the uniform garments are made from sustainable materials.
08:08So this change could be another huge step forward on the environmental responsibility
08:12front.
08:14Despite being one of the more celebrated inventions on recent McDonald's menus, not every market
08:19has been fortunate enough to pick up the McCrispy yet.
08:22Luckily, that will change drastically in 2025, as the McCrispy is being released in markets
08:27worldwide.
08:28After its successful launch in Germany and Canada and subsequent popularity in America
08:33and Australia, it seems McDonald's is trying to catch in on the chicken sandwich for all
08:37it's worth.
08:38Notably, that strategy will expand beyond just bringing the McCrispy to new places,
08:43but also serving it in new ways.
08:45Indeed, in July 2024, Prada reports McDonald's began testing chicken McCrispy strips in a
08:51short-term rollout.
08:52In response, many excited customers took this as a sign that the fan-favorite snack wrap
08:57may be making a return with this new and improved chicken sliver tucked into its center.
09:02And that might be more than just speculation by optimistic consumers.
09:06Plans found on the McDonald's website seem to confirm 2025 might just see the addition
09:11of both McCrispy strips and wraps by the end of the year.
09:14That's how you know it's good.
09:16The possibility of an increased McChicken and McCrispy line in 2025 isn't just a response
09:21to consumer demand.
09:23It's also a savvy mode by McDonald's to trim costs by using a more bottom-line-friendly
09:27protein source.
09:29CEO Chris Kamchinski even admitted to the Business Times that it's easier to come through
09:33with new chicken items instead of beef.
09:36So the company is taking this tack ahead of what could be a difficult year.
09:39With Chick-fil-A growing by leaps and bounds, McDonald's seems to be preparing to assert
09:43itself in the chicken sector.
09:46Beyond the rise of the McCrispy, there are some other poultry picks that could make a
09:49return to the menu.
09:51For example, the Grilled Chicken Sandwich disappeared from U.S. locations in 2020, and
09:56Chicken Selects have been gone since 2013.
09:59Even the Grilled Chicken Caesar McSalad Shaker, the company's cup of greens that turned the
10:03early-2000s fast food scene upside down, could stand to make a triumphant return.
10:08Additionally, the 2024 test run for the Chicken Big Mac may prove to be the new direction
10:13for chicken in the McDonald's world.
10:15Of course, the minds at Mickey D's could have a whole slate of new chicken inventions
10:18on the drawing board to bring new flavor to the familiar menu, too.
10:23Whatever 2025 holds, it'll be exciting to see the options the company unwraps.