McDonald’s, the fast food giant is being squeezed by flat traffic, inflation and high beef prices, causing it pivot to… chicken.
It won’t be totally abandoning burgers, but the storied McDonald’s menu will be shifting gears to more poultry and other items, according CEO Chris Kempczinski.
The burger chain reported U.S. same-store sales growth of just 0.8% in its most recent quarter as budget-minded consumers pulled back spending on restaurants.
Diners have been eating out less frequently, pushing back against higher menu prices as they face increased costs on everything from gas to groceries. From August 2025 to July 2026, industry operators surveyed by the National Restaurant Association reported a net decline in customer traffic in every month but one, according to CNBC.
Kempczinski said during an investors’ day event yesterday (Sept. 23) that beef costs have nearly doubled over the last five years in the company’s biggest markets. Other expenses, like labor and construction, have also ticked higher, putting more pressure on margins.
“Across the board, we’re seeing that inflation is sticky,” Kempczinski said. “It’s sticky, not just in the U.S., but around the world.”
Burgers will still be on the menu, according to executives.
The restaurant plans to improve the quality of its burgers with a focus on fresh beef Quarter Pounders to steal market share from its rivals who use frozen beef, according to CNBC.
The Quarter Pounder with Cheese has grown into a pricey menu item. The sandwich averages between $5.39 to $5.99, about a dollar more than in 2020. But a Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese is $7.59 and a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese is $8.32.
Nutritionists have long criticized fast food because of its alarmingly high saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol levels.
President Trump, a fast food afficionado, routinely ate two Big Macs, two Filet-O-Fish sandwiches, and a chocolate milkshake, packed with at least 1,880 calories, during his election campaigns.
Consumers will see other big changes in the chain’s menu, including healthier food items.
The company has been leaning away from its hamburgers and shifting to chicken and beverages to drive sales. By 2030, McDonald’s wants to grow its global market share in those two categories by about 1.5 percentage points each, the company said.
McDonald’s introduced Chicken McNuggets nationwide in 1983, and the food item now accounts for nearly $15 billion in sales.
The company also sells $4 billion a year of its McChicken sandwich and $2.5 billion from McCrispy menu items, said Jill McDonald, the company’s global chief restaurant experience officer. About 20% of chicken sales make up the chain’s $130 billion in total global sales.
And, more chicken menu items are on the way.
McDonald’s will add a number of hand-breaded chicken options to match menu items like Chick-fil-A, Popeyes and Raising Cane’s.
The company also plans to roll out new grilled chicken sandwiches and wraps and new Chicken McNugget flavors and sauces.
McDonald’s is also gunning for a bigger share of the global $230 billion beverage market.
Customers saw an expanded drink lists at restaurants earlier this year, featuring crafted sodas and energy drinks. It will also upgrade the quality of its coffee, which has helped chains like Dunkin’ Donuts expand their margins. Espresso machines are on the way to U.S. restaurants with more options to customize drinks
“We’re exploring bowls, grilled chicken and egg bites to expand protein-forward options across breakfast, lunch and dinner,” McDonald’s U.S. President Skye Anderson told the crowd.
The company unveiled a broad $5 billion campaign to upgrade restaurants and introduce artifical intelligence to improve operational efficiency.
Customers will begin to see changes on Oct. 5, the 124th birthday of Ray Kroc, who pioneered the fast-food segment, turing it into a global industry, according to the company.
Keith Girard has four decades of experience as an award-winning reporter, editor-in-chief, and senior media executive. Keith’s career began in Washington, D.C., where he was a reporter for The Washington Post and a contributing editor for Regardie’s and Washingtonian magazines. He also worked as a writer/producer in CNN’s Washington Bureau and has written non-fiction books on the U.S. Marines in the Gulf War and Donald Trump and two novels, “The Heidelberg Conundrum” and “The Curse of Northam Bay.”