Your 'Fresh To Order' Burger From McDonald's Probably Isn't That Fresh
In 2018, McDonald's made a change to its Quarter Pounders when the chain swapped frozen burger patties for fresh ones, a move that resulted in a major financial boost. However, Mike Haracz, former corporate chef at McDonald's, warned fast food fans on TikTok that their chances of getting a fresh burger from the chain are slim. That's because approximately 93% of McDonald's locations are run by franchisees, who may go against the directives from corporate in the interest of efficiency and profits.
Per the McDonald's website, only the Quarter Pounders are made using fresh ground beef. Other sandwiches, such as the iconic Big Mac, still use frozen ground beef. However, McDonald's states that fresh patties are "available at most restaurants in the contiguous U.S.," which means customers have no guarantee of fresh patties at their McDonald's location. Because cooking a fresh burger patty requires a different approach, some franchisees choose to sidestep the process and create Quarter Pounders with frozen patties instead.
Clashes between McDonald's corporate and franchisees
As a former member of the McDonald's corporate team, chef Mike Haracz believes that franchisees should follow the processes developed by management. Haracz explained that franchisees are representing the McDonald's brand and therefore should adhere to the processes and approaches created on the corporate level. This includes making Quarter Pounders with fresh patties, a process that Haracz claimed was "tested and approved" and completely "food safe."
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Food safety was a major concern when McDonald's first introduced the idea of a fresh beef patty. Franchisees cited the bouts of foodborne illness that took place at Chipotle in 2015, which experienced significant fallout as a result. To reduce the risk of cross-contamination, proper handling of the fresh beef patties is key when they're being prepared. And according to a McDonald's franchisee, one "uncaring employee" could potentially cause a serious issue if customers fell ill after the fresh patties were introduced.
Employee wages could hold McDonald's back
Another point Haracz made in his TikTok video is that crew members at the restaurant may not have an incentive to learn new processes or perform more complex tasks. The former corporate chef blames this lack of motivation on the low wages many employees receive, stating that McDonald's workers may feel more "empowered" to put in additional effort if their pay rate was higher. McDonald's corporate seems to share this opinion, as CNBC reports that the restaurant plans to offer an average wage of $15 by 2024. However, this increase would only take place at those establishments McDonald's owns outright and not at the franchises, which far outnumber corporate restaurants.
Franchise owners are against wage increases and ultimately believe they should get to make decisions about how much staff members get. One major point of contention is that a higher wage might not make sense in locations with a lower cost of living, as compared to more expensive cities. However, McDonald's corporate fears they and their franchisees will lose talented staff members to other businesses who do increase wages. Regardless of the outcome, the roadblocks to receiving a fresh Quarter Pounder at McDonald's highlights that the restaurant is constantly balancing efficiency against customer satisfaction.