McDonald’s Quarter Pounder Revamp Goes to E. Coli Crisis

• McDonald’s Quarter Pounder has been linked to a deadly E. coli outbreak in 10 states.
• The fast-food chain overhauled its famous burger in 2018 — then reported a surge in sales.
• Now, McDonald’s says it’s temporarily removing the Quarter Pounder from its menus.

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McDonald’s effort to revamp the Quarter Pounder in recent years — switching to fresh beef and pushing a marketing campaign complete with “I’d rather eat a Quarter Pounder” stickers — hit a snag this week with an E. coli outbreak related to the sandwich.

Golden Arches’ focus on the classic Quarter Pounder since its 2018 revamp had paid off — leading to a 50% increase in sales in the first month after its introduction, the company said at the time.

And since then, the Quarter Pounder and other “classics” like the Big Mac have accounted for more than 70% of food sales in recent years in McDonald’s major markets, an executive said.

This underscores how important the Quarter Pounder is to McDonald’s — and why it will want to address the issue of food safety quickly.

Investors also understand the significance: McDonald’s shares fell sharply late Tuesday after the company said it would temporarily remove hamburgers from menus in a number of states across the US.

“The Quarter Pounder is incredibly important to McDonald’s product line,” John A. Gordon, founder of Pacific Management Consulting Group and an analyst at the chain’s restaurants, told Business Insider after news of the E. coli outbreak.

He said a potential hit to the Quarter Pounder’s reputation could negatively impact sales — and pose a challenge to McDonald’s overall brand in the short term.

In an internal message posted on the company’s website Tuesday, Cesar Piña, head of North American supply chain, said McDonald’s is taking “swift and decisive” action in response to the outbreak. Piña said the illnesses may be linked to the chopped onions used in the Quarter Pounder. He said those onions are sourced from a single supplier that serves three distribution centers.