McDonald’s is bringing back the beloved Double Big Mac after four years

NEW YORK (CNN) — McDonald’s Big Mac doubles in size again.

Starting January 24, the company will reintroduce the Double Big Mac to its menu, which has four pieces of meat instead of the usual two and will be sold for a limited time in the United States.

McDonald’s briefly had this special edition burger on sale in March 2020. The Double Big Mac was announced just days before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States, forcing the food chain to reduce hours of operation and reduce menus. Among the offerings including this burger.

Unlike the previous version, the 2024 Double Big Mac includes improvements that McDonald’s announced in 2023 for its main burger offering, including a softer bun, adjustments to grill settings for better cooking, and improvements to the way the cheese melts. Big Macs in particular have more sauce.

Limited-time offers are often a marketing strategy that creates interest among consumers who are looking for competitive options. But there may be more behind this particular release.

Last month, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempinski told CNN that his customers wanted bigger burgers and that the chain was “working on it.” Selling a Double Big Mac is an easy way to offer a larger product because it requires no additional work for employees and is made with existing ingredients.

McDonald’s plan to make bigger burgers comes at a time when many consumers are looking for ways to spend less, and the expensive McDonald’s burger has become a symbol of inflation.

But a burger, no matter how big, shouldn’t empty your bank account. “We think we can offer a big, great-tasting burger at a better price than (customers) can get anywhere else,” Kempsinski said.

McDonald’s has sold different versions of the Big Mac in the past. In 2017 and 2018, it sold the Grand Mac and Mac Junior. Although the Grand Mac used two burger patties, they were larger than the regular patties in a traditional Big Mac and came on a larger bun.