So I’m not much of a food-blogger, but I have been known to post the occasional recipe, and I have engaged in famous stabs at ketchup-blogging, and even the occasional McDonald’s sandwich review.
And given the weirdly compelling/annoying McDonald’s CEO video, there’s been a lot of talk about the Big Arch, McDonald’s latest and biggest burger, topping out at 1020 calories. (More if you request extra sauce, as I did. But was that a mistake? Stay tuned!)
The fast food sector isn’t doing great, and burgers are seen by many as passé. McDonald’s, of course, has been around for a long time so there’s not much excitement there. (Even Ronald McDonald has suffered from the several-decades trend toward considering clowns creepy rather than friendly and funny; the Ronald McDonald House chain is wonderful for folks with sick kids, and I donate to it sometimes, but the ghost of John Wayne Gacy, or something, has polluted the entire clown space).
Anyway, this all means that if you’re McDonald’s you need something to get attention: A “halo product” if you will. Just as Ford makes the GT, or Chevy the Corvette (I know, not quite the same) McDonald’s has the Big Arch. Like the Corvettte — or the GT! - the Big Arch is pricey, though as a burger it’s not beyond the pocketbooks of their customers the way halo cars are. But it is bigger and fancier and more attention-getting (and more calorific!) than their other offerings. And it’s a classic McDonald’s product, not some foofy add-on. But is it better?
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