McDonald's Is Adding Four New Secret Menu Items to Its Actual Menu The fast-food chain is making four customers' creations and bringing them to life starting January 31.
By Emily Rella
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
Fast-food fans have been making their own versions of menu items for as long as chains have been around, with the rise of social media catapulting "secret menu items' and hacks into the mainstream and opening customers' eyes to new combinations and variations on their favorite foods.
One of the chains where this is most prominent is McDonald's, where cult-like followings around certain menu items have created a loyal fan base that experiments with mixing and matching different items to create their own unique spin on things.
And now it looks like the fast-food chain itself has taken note, as McDonald's announced that it would be releasing a limited-edition run of "Menu Hacks", new items inspired by customers' creations.
Related: Elon Musk Prompts Creation of McDonald's Meme Coin, Hits $6 Million Market Capitalization
"Our fans are always coming up with different ways to make a McDonald's meal uniquely their own," McDonald's said in a statement. "That's why, for the first time ever, we're spotlighting their creativity by officially debuting four fan-favorite creations on menus across the country for a limited time."
The new items, which roll out on January 31, were chosen from four social media users who created the hacks themselves.
The four new food being featured are The Hash Brown McMuffin® (A sausage McMuffin with egg and a hash brown stacked in the middle), The Crunchy Double (Chicken McNuggets topped with a Double Cheeseburger with Tangy Barbeque Sauce drizzled inside), The Land, Air & Sea (A McChicken stacked on a Big Mac, stacked on a Filet-O-Fish) and The Surf + Turf (A Filet-O-Fish stacked on a Double Cheeseburger.)
"From Hip-Hop icons to Christmas queens, everyone has a unique go-to McDonald's order, including our everyday customers," Vice President of U.S. Marketing, Brand Content and Engagement for McDonald's USA Jennifer Healan said. "This campaign shows that it has never been "our menu' — the menu belongs to our fans."
Related: McDonald's Is Making Its Famous McRib Sandwich Into an NFT
Customers who order any of the mashups will be given the items they need to create the secret menu hack items themselves.
All items are available to order in-store, drive-thru via McDelivery or the McDonald's App, except the Surf + Turf which is only available via McDelivery and the McDonald's App.
The chain has been experimenting with its menu over the last few months, bringing back its famed McRib for a limited time run at the end of last fall and expanding its roll out of the new plant-based McPlant burger.
As of Thursday afternoon, the chain was up 20.27% year over year.
Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now and take this quiz to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.
