McDonald's Changes You'll See In 2024

Sometimes, all it takes is two brothers and a dream to create a gleaming, golden powerhouse. We are, of course, talking about McDonald's, with its yellow M-shaped arches lighting up the skyline of what feels like every city across the globe. What began as a modest burger and shake shop just outside of Los Angeles in 1948 has become a cardinal global brand and fast-food industry titan.

But every prominent company, if it wishes to maintain its relevance, must be willing and prepared to evolve with the times. Regardless of what your personal opinion may be regarding its food, it can't be denied that McDonald's has done a commendable job of adapting over the years. From its marketing strategies to its storefronts to its menu to its mascots, McDonald's maintains a constant, rotating effort to match modern trends, considering consumer needs, wants, and desires in every era. And things don't appear to be changing any time soon; the coming year will bring with it plenty of advances to the restaurant known for its Egg McMuffins and Happy Meals. As per usual, the franchise plans to go above and beyond in an effort to protect its title as the world's #1 fast-food chain, so here are some McDonald's changes you can expect to see in 2024.

"Soggy buns!!" reads the title of a Reddit thread under r/mildlyinfuriating. "McDonald's leaving their buns out in the rain." Unfortunately, this customer complaint is hardly reserved for just one eater; reports of soggy, moist, and even disintegrating buns have been reported across the customer board in recent years. Some have blamed over-squishing by employees as being the cause of the issue, others too much juice soaking in from sitting too long in the kitchen — but regardless, the existence of a real problem regarding the bready vessels containing the McDonald's burgers can hardly be ignored.

Thankfully, it appears that corporate has heard its customers' cries ... and will respond accordingly. Consumers can expect some major upgrades to the bread which will hold their beefy, cheesy creations in the coming year. Brioche buns with sesame seeds and a pleasant, light toast will be implemented across all locations, creating a much more enjoyable — and less squishy — bite. Since everyone knows what a major difference a quality bun can make for the overall encounter of indulging in a burger, it appears we all can expect an enhanced eating experience at McDonald's in the new year. And if you've never indulged in one of the chain's savory Cheeseburgers or McDoubles yourself, 2024 will be the year to do it.

The Big Mac burger at McDonald's has always come with sauce, but it's just not enough, apparently. Requests for extra Big Mac Sauce on the signature burger have been echoing through the headsets of the franchise's kitchen employees for a while. And while it seems some customers at certain locations have successfully obtained an additional layer of the coveted topping, others haven't had much luck. "When I order a Big Mac," said a user on Reddit under r/McDonalds, "I ask for extra/double sauce. I get refused on the basis that there is no way for them to ring that up for me." Whether or not you have been one of the lucky few able to snag a bit of extra sauce over the years, it seems that a light bulb has finally gone off for the franchise. If people want extra Big Mac sauce with every order, why not just make more of it a part of the burger's standard recipe in the first place?

In 2024, your dreams will become a reality. The celebrated Big Mac Sauce, which has inspired countless copycat recipes online, will be spread much more generously throughout the layers of the company's most famous burger. The coveted dressing, which is considered to be one of McDonald's best-kept secret recipes, will almost surely serve to improve the famous burger ... no doubt making taste buds all over the world very happy in the new year.

Though McDonald's has a long array of popular burgers on its menu, they certainly aren't immune to criticism. There have been numerous occasions on which the beef rounds that make up the main component of the Hamburgers or the McDoubles have been called out for questionable flavor — or a lack of it altogether. "If you take a little of the meat," said a Reddit user sarcastically in reference to the McDonald's patties, "let it cool and then eat it on its own, the flavour is surprising. It tastes of absolutely nothing."

But we have some good news: with the coming of the new year comes a new blast (or should we say, bite) of meaty flavor to look forward to. Consumers can expect the death of bland McDonald's patties and the birth of those with a much deeper flavor profile thanks to the addition of some very special guests on the grill. According to Fox 5 New York, the chain will begin adding its signature diced onions to the meat while it is still searing, as opposed to after, to infuse the caramelization of the vegetable into the patties themselves in 2024. We won't lie; our mouths are watering just thinking about the extra little burst of complexity a handful of white onions stand to bring to some of the world's favorite cheeseburgers.

Though McDonald's may be a burger joint at its core, red meat certainly isn't the only thing frying up in the back of its kitchens. It goes without saying that some of the successful fast-food franchise's poultry offerings, like the Chicken McNuggets or the McChicken Sandwiches, are just as highly recognizable — and highly enjoyable — as their beef-based relatives. This fact is evidenced by sales; according to the McDonald's corporation itself, its chicken menu has grown to become equal to its beef one.

The McCrispy Sandwich, in particular, is reported as being especially craveable by consumers, with one customer on Reddit referring to it as "one of the best chicken sandwiches in the game." In 2024, McDonald's plans to capitalize on this by expanding the McCrispy, spreading its availability worldwide until it is featured on nearly every menu at every location. In addition to the corporation shares, there are both wraps and chicken tenders currently being developed as eventual newcomers to the menu, featuring the popular McCrispy chicken as their star. Given how upset the world was at the chain's discontinuation of its chicken-based snack wraps a few years back, we anticipate that consumers will be more than excited about these up-and-coming introductions. Let's hope they come to us sooner rather than later.

Let's face it; a cheeseburger doesn't really feel like a cheeseburger if that mozzarella, swiss, or American slice isn't good and melted between the buns. However, according to reviewing customers, McDonald's beef delicacies have been lacking in the properly-melted cheese department in recent years. "Why doesn't McDonald's melt the cheese on their burgers anymore?" reads the title of a Reddit thread under r/McDonalds, in which the poster sheds light on an issue plaguing throngs of consumers. "I can agree," confirmed another user on the same thread, "I never get melted cheese anymore."

Thankfully, McDonald's is keenly aware of the issue — and already has a plan in place for fixing it in 2024. KRON 4 News reports that cheese already brought to room temperature, instead of slices pulled straight from an icy refrigerator or cooler, will be used on all burger creations starting in the new year. This way, the slices will be much more likely to melt completely during the cooking process — making our burgers into the gooey masterpieces we envision in our mind's eye.

Often, it feels like there's a McDonald's on every corner, no matter where you go or what you do. And there is some definite truth to this: It's been reported that well over 40,000 McDonald's locations are scattered across the globe. While the majority of these are planted in the United States, China, Germany, France, and Japan ... those statistics may soon change. That's because the company will reportedly begin to hone in on its ambitious plan of adding even more golden arches to the world starting in the coming year.

Don't be surprised if a few more McDonald's locations spring up near you in 2024. The franchise intends to erect some 10,000 additional restaurants over the next few years in an attempt to reach its goal of 50,000 total stores worldwide. If this number seems staggering ... that's because it is. Starbucks, by comparison, is reported by Statista as having 35,711 stores in total under its belt. McDonald's, as it currently sits, is the leading restaurant presence in the world by sheer number of locations alone, and if it manages to hit 50,000, this lead will be even further amplified. We can't imagine how long it might take another chain to catch up ... if they're able to at all. 

Though one would think the McDonald's franchise would have its hands full with the construction of so many new locations in the coming year, the corporation seems to have ultimately decided its New Year's resolution just wasn't quite ambitious enough. The company has announced that it will also be opening up a brand new cafe-style restaurant called CosMc's — and one may be coming to a city near you in 2024. 

10 CosMc's locations will open up on an experimental basis in select cities come the New Year and will be styled with the intention of competing with large-scale coffee chains such as Dunkin'. Unique, interest-piquing coffee drinks like Churro Frappes, refreshing, fruity picks called "Galactic Boosts," and the company's signature McFlurry beverages are all expected to be offered on the new restaurant's ample drink menu. Snackable foods will be available for order, as well, like the classic Egg McMuffin or new picks such as the Creamy Avocado Tomatillo Sandwich. Whether or not Starbucks will find itself threatened by this newcomer on the block remains to be seen; however, all of McDonald's eggs are hardly in one basket. If, for some reason CosMc's ends up being a flop, we imagine the organization will somehow come through it just fine.

These days, AI, or artificial intelligence, seems to be everywhere. Whether you work in cyber security, computer programming, or — as it turns out — the restaurant industry, AI can be a useful tool throughout the day-to-day. McDonald's, as part of its new technological implementation plans for 2024, is laying the groundwork for its very own AI system.

According to information from McDonald's corporate, Google Cloud and the burger chain have partnered up to create an artificial intelligence system for McDonald's locations worldwide. The technology will reportedly be used to "spot" problems for general managers, allowing them to react quicker and provide solutions faster — something that, should everything go according to plan, will serve to decrease customer issues, order mishaps, and other general business disturbances.

However, this is hardly the first time the chain has tried to employ the use of AI ... and the last time, it was hardly successful. In 2022, the Daily Dot released an article regarding McDonald's highly publicized attempt at creating AI drive-through machines, describing it simply (and effectively) as a "fail." One man ended up with bacon in his ice cream, and another customer on Reddit reported that the machine nearest them attempted to order six Filet-O-Fish sandwiches instead of the intended request of Tangy Barbeque Sauce. Yikes. We're rooting for you this time around, McDonald's.

It's a brisk 30 degrees outside. You've finally got your kids' coats off and strapped each of them safely into their car seats in the warm, heated van. Do you really want to have to park at the restaurant, unstrap each child, and get every one of them redressed just to walk inside for two minutes to grab the Happy Meals? Of course not. Cue the restaurant drive-thru — an unbelievably handy (and sometimes unbelievably necessary) aspect of a business. McDonald's is the leading drive-thru fast food franchise, and its consistently well-run system has undoubtedly brought many mothers with vans full of hungry kids in the dead of winter to its locations on the basis of guaranteed, easy-pickup alone.

In 2024, McDonald's will continue to draw in people from all walks of life with its excellent drive-thru system. And word on the street is that we can anticipate it becoming even better. In the company's ongoing expansion project, McDonald's' re-dedication to investing in its drive-thru services — the efficiency of which directly increases profits. Changes such as widening where needed or the addition of supplementary lanes can be expected in the coming year. So, if you see an "under construction" sign at your local McDonald's, don't panic. It could very well mean that a new and improved drive-thru is headed your way. 

Mobile orders are a great way to order from the comfort of your home and skip the in-store line, but there can also be a downside. If your McDonald's Hash Brown, for example, gets made too early on your drive to the restaurant, it may end up sitting in a paper to-go bag a little too long on the counter ... rendering things cold and a little unpleasant to eat. When complaints of lukewarm food began piling up from mobile-ordering consumers and Door Dash drivers alike, McDonald's took matters into its own hands by developing a new system for phone orders called "Ready On Arrival."

The experimental system kicked off last year for its trial run, and the results are in: McDonald's will continue expanding "Ready On Arrival" across more locations in 2024. A professed assistant manager on Reddit provided a brief explanation for confused users as to how it works: "... your order will pop up on the screen about 3 mins before you arrive there. You will only get charged once you get close enough to the restaurant." The system apparently works with the GPS location on your phone, alerting kitchen employees to your arrival with enough time for them to complete your order ... but not so much time as to allow your food to end up waiting coldly. If your local store hasn't implemented the new system yet, you can probably expect the change sometime in the coming year.

Loyalty programs are all the rage for chain restaurants; it isn't hard to imagine why. A customer earning "points" for a simple coffee or sandwich might accumulate rewards until a larger food order can be earned on stockpiled merits alone, and this keeps customers coming back on a consistent basis — all but ensuring their business. With thousands (and in the case of McDonald's, millions) of these dependable loyalty members, you can almost certainly count on your restaurant remaining afloat.

The McDonald's corporation has a whopping 150 million registered loyalty customers under its belt ... and it has no plans to stop there. In 2024, the company will put forth efforts to draw in even more loyalty program members to reach its ambitious goal of 250 million over the next few years. Exactly how they plan on doing this — or what enticing offers may be dangled in front of consumers to encourage them — remains to be seen ... but we'd be willing to bet there's never been a better time to join up with McDonald's than the year 2024. Who knows? You might just end up with a full stack of points you can put toward one of the chain's new-and-improved cheesy, flavorful burgers in the process.