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It’s all about market share, says McDonald’s CEO Don Thompson, and the chain plans to improve share by emphasizing the “entry level” Dollar Menu, Daily Double and Bacon McDouble burgers while encouraging trade-up to premium-price items such as its new pair of CBO (Cheddar Bacon Onion) Angus and chicken sandwiches. Thompson promised that the CBO [...]

[Update: In New Zealand,McDonald's adds a Moroccan Lamb Burger on Sept. 26.] Last month, McDonald’s introduced its Serious Lamb Burger to consumers in Australia. Now it’s going back to its beef roots: This week (9/26) the chain unveils a new Serious Angus Burger as a limited-time offering there, according to sources. This member of the [...]

[8/18 update: See the commercial for the lamb burger McDonald's is airing in Australia here.] In line with its continuing marketing strategy that promotes local products and spotlights some of the farmers and ranchers it works with around the world, McDonald’s once again is working with the Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) organization. The result [...]

McDonald’s is testing a new, toppings-heavy version of its third-pound Angus burger in San Diego. The test of the Clubhouse Angus was disclosed today by McDonald’s executives in a Manhattan meeting with Wall Street analysts and was reported first by Mark Kalinowski, restaurant analyst with Janney Montgomery Scott. Actually, the burger in test isn’t really [...]

How do you convince diners to pay more for a higher-quality burger? The most persuasive menu term is also one of the least specific. Speaking at last week’s 2012 Protein Innovation Summit hosted by Meatingplace magazine, Technomic Executive Vice President Darren Tristano presented data on consumer attitudes to beef quality (not just burgers). According to [...]

Smashburger is again adding a national specialty burger alongside its menu of customized and locally themed burgers. The Fresh Mex Burger will be offered until April 29. To drive trial, Smashburger has a coupon on its Facebook page that gets users a free entrée with purchase of the Fresh Mex Burger or flanker Fresh Mex [...]

Ah, chains can menu chicken if they must but they can’t stop trying to perfect better burgers, can they? Wendy’s can’t. GrubGrade reports that in Wichita, Kan., the chain is testing yet another premium burger line that it’s calling Black Label Hamburgers, a name reminiscent of top-shelf spirits. This is the same chain that shocked [...]

When the good news is that quick-service restaurants’ customer counts are flat, you know times are tough. But that’s how it is with the report issued today by researcher The NPD Group. Despite all the ballyhooed “social media” that consultants have pushed operators to use, despite Groupon and other daily-deal channels and in spite of [...]

The revamping of Hungry Jack’s—Burger King’s franchise in Australia—includes the introduction of two new burgers, promoted as being certified organic beef.  The chain has been promising a dramatic brand update for weeks and officially announces details tomorrow, but it will include the unveiling of the BBQ Deluxe Country Burger and BBQ Onion Country Burger (with addition [...]

McDonald’s continues to experiment with its ingredient pantry, mixing and matching patties, proteins and buns to create new sandwiches. Its latest idea, now in test, is the Zesty BBQ Crunch, a premium sandwich with a twist: it’s available as either an Angus or chicken burger.  The Zesty BBQ Crunch calls in peppered bacon, barbecue sauce [...]

This weekend is the perfect time to pause and recognize the menu détente that has been reached between burgers and their old rivals, hot dogs. No longer half of an either/or relationship like mustard and ketchup or cowboys and aliens, hot dogs have settled into a happy sidekick role on many burger-joint menus. What makes [...]

Ted’s Montana Grill reasserts its status as an innovative burger chain with the addition of five thick new burgers, including two egg-topped builds and interesting toppings such as house-made tomato jam. As with its other burgers, the new items can be ordered with either Angus beef ($13) or bison patty ($16). Under President-COO Kristi Nyhof, the [...]

The burger battle in Australia is the most interesting faceoff outside the U.S. One reason is that McDonald’s has some real competition in Hungry Jack’s, the name under which Burger King operates there. Also making the tug of war between them engrossing is the continuous one-upmanship in burgers and bravado as the chains try to [...]

[Update: Don't miss Hardee's/Carl's Jr.'s funny new burgers commercial! Here.] Jack in the Box’s introduction today of the latest in its line of grilled items—the Bourbon BBQ Steak Grilled Sandwich—is likely to be the first of many menu additions as the traditional March/April menu-development vacation ends and chains open up the new-menu-item pipeline. Consider that this is [...]

The hottest culinary trend is locally sourced meats and seafood, according to the National Restaurant Association’s “What’s Hot in 2011” chefs survey. Never one to shun a trend, McDonald’s is showing that burger chains as well as fine-dining restaurants can source locally.  The chain today introduced in Canada the Angus Third Pounder burger line that [...]