.McDonald’s iconic Big Mac turns 50 this year.
.When it comes to the classic fast-food burger, nothing comes close to the Big Mac at McDonald’s.
.Like blue jeans and the iPhone, it has become a symbol of American culture around the world.
.The Big Mac’s main competitors are “better burger” chains like Shake Shack.
This year marks half a century of one of America’s most enduring legacies: The Big Mac.
On Sunday, the chain unveiled the MacCoin, a “global currency” that can be redeemed for a free burger at McDonald’s locations around the world. Customers can receive a MacCoin with the purchase of a Big Mac on Thursday, August 2, to be redeemed starting the next day at McDonald’s in more than 50 countries around the world.
“It’s not often that any food item is as relevant today as it was 50 years ago,” McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook told Business Insider’s Kate Taylor in a recent interview.
Gourmands and chefs may quibble, but at the end of the day, nothing can beat the Big Mac on three crucial points: It’s cheap, it’s consistent, and it’s downright good.
It’s America’s burger. There’s even a museum dedicated to it in Pennsylvania.
I recently pit the signature burgers at Burger King, McDonald’s, and Wendy’s against each other in an unwavering, definitive, and entirely unscientific ranking.
Lo and behold, after the sesame seeds had settled, the glorious Big Mac came out on top.
So it caught me by surprise to learn that only one in five millennials has even tried the Big Mac. That’s according to a memo written by a McDonald’s franchisee, cited by The Wall Street Journal in 2016. According to the WSJ, Easterbrook said the company is beginning to rethink “legacy beliefs” as it looks to revitalize its stagnant share of the burger market.
Rethinking legacy beliefs? Is our savoriest national treasure in danger of being phased out?