McDonald’s is bringing a chicken version of its Big Mac sandwich to the U.S. for a limited time, the company announced this week.
The sandwich, which replaces the traditional two beef patties of a Big Mac with two tempura-battered chicken patties, will be available at participating restaurants starting Oct. 10 “while supplies last,” the company said. The chicken Big Mac has made an appearance on menus abroad, but this will be the menu item’s first entree into U.S. restaurants.
The announcement comes as Chicago-based McDonald’s continues to put a focus on chicken. During a second-quarter earnings call in July, CEO Chris Kempczinski said the company’s chicken sales were now on par with beef sales. Kempczinski said the fast-food giant was committed to “growing share in areas like chicken.”
McDonald’s, like other fast-food and quick-service chains, is struggling to get customers to keep opening their wallets as they pull back from discretionary spending.
The company’s global same-store sales fell for the first time in nearly four years during the second quarter, when they dropped nearly 1% in the U.S. The company’s net income fell 12%.
“Beginning last year, we warned of a more discriminating consumer, particularly among lower-income households,” Kempczinski said in July. “And as this year progressed, those pressures have deepened and broadened.”
McDonald’s has tried to reel customers back in with deals, such as the $5 meal deal it introduced this summer. The company will report its third-quarter earnings at the end of the month.
