For over 50 years, the Big Mac has reigned as McDonald’s signature burger, but its 1967 debut was far from the chain’s beginning. When the first McDonald’s opened in 1940, the menu was deliberately simple: burgers, cheeseburgers, fries, and shakes. The idea of a premium sandwich didn’t fit the fast, streamlined concept.
It took franchise operator Jim Delligatti to change that. On April 22, 1967, he launched the Big Mac—two patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, on a sesame seed bun. Early ads called it “a meal disguised as a sandwich,” and it became an instant icon .
A History of Premium Failures
Since the Big Mac’s success, McDonald’s has repeatedly tried to create new signature burgers, with mostly disappointing results.
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Arch Deluxe (1996): Marketed as an “adult” burger, it was a high-profile flop.
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Angus Third Pounders (2009): These higher-priced burgers failed to gain lasting traction.
CFO Ian Borden acknowledged the company’s missteps at a 2024 UBS conference: “We thought the opportunity was about premium burgers, which was wrong. We weren’t successful” .
Enter the Big Arch
On March 3, McDonald’s will launch the Big Arch, its latest attempt at a premium offering. This time, the strategy is different. Rather than focusing on “premium” ingredients, the chain is emphasizing a “larger, more satisfying” burger to meet customer demand for value and fullness .
The launch comes as rivals like Chipotle lean into the added-protein trend and consumers increasingly seek filling meals that justify the cost. Whether the Big Arch can succeed where others failed remains to be seen—but McDonald’s is betting that bigger, not just “better,” is the winning formula .
