This week, customers in Northern California get a taste of three new variations on the chain’s iconic Quarter Pounders, while McDonald’s locations in Atlanta, Ga., and Austin, Texas, begin offering a new McMuffin aimed at health conscious eaters, Restaurant News noted.
The new McMuffin, which is made with egg whites, is expected to be introduced nationwide next year, if the testing goes well.
McDonald’s is facing sluggish sales as it struggles to compete with a variety of competitors, including Burger King (NYSE:BKW), Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) and Yum! Brands’ (NYSE:YUM) Taco Bell.
The new products currently in testing allow the chain to leverage the popularity of its well-known menu items, while attracting customers to more expensive items like bundled meals.
Here are McDonald’s new Quarter Pounders:
- Habanero Ranch — featuring hickory-smoked bacon, white cheddar cheese, and habanero-ranch sauce
- Deluxe — featuring American cheese, red onions, pickles, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and mustard
- Bacon and Cheese — featuring bacon, American cheese, pickles, mustard , red onions and ketchup
Shares of McDonald’s fell more than 1% in Monday afternoon trading.
