McDonald's Wants to Run More Tests on 'Build-Your-Own-Burger' Concept We'll soon see if McDonald's can keep fast food speedy and cheap while giving customers customization options.
By Kate Taylor
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Seeking more data regarding new takes on fast food, McDonald's hopes to expand its "build-your-own-burger' experiment this year.
The build-your-own-burger concept first appeared at a McDonald's in California last year. The location that currently offers the customization option, a restaurant in Laguna Niguel, offers the option of using tablets to craft an individualized burger alongside the traditional menu.
Reports from the Laguna Niguel location reveal a swankier McDonald's that is less an adoption of Burger King's "Have it your way" motto and more similar to upscale burger chains such as Bareburger and b.good. The newly redesigned restaurant featured iPads that allow customers to choose from two kinds of buns, multiple cheese options and extensive toppings including guacamole and chili lime tortilla strips. The resulting burger costs around $8 or $9 – near Chipotle's price range, but significantly more expensive than the average McDonald's offering. Whether customized burgers will slow down the fast-food chain's processes also remains a question.
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"We don't have details on an expansion at this time, but we do know that we would like to obtain more information than what one restaurant can provide," says McDonald's spokesperson Lisa McComb. So, while it's unlikely that you'll be able to build your own burger at a McDonald's around the corner, expect information from this test to affect your Big Mac in coming months.
The test run for the build-your-own-burger concept goes hand in hand with McDonald's attempt to change the perception that customers can't customize their orders. The chain is rolling out new prep tables, built to accommodate more toppings and dressings than McDonald's currently offers.
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