The Big Mac to the Grand Mac: A brief history of McDonald's cheeseburgers

McDonald’s is the biggest restaurant on Earth, and its closest competitors, Starbucks and Subway, trail far behind it.

The beloved chain first emerged as a modest drive-in restaurant back in the 1940s. At the time, it offered just a simple, no-hassle hamburger. The modest but consistent patty resonated with consumers.

Fast forward to 1967, and the iconic Big Mac was born. The double decker burger — made up of two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, and onions, all stuffed between three sesame seed buns — quickly became one of McDonald’s signature items and was officially added to the chain’s national menu by 1968.

The no-hassle hamburger

The no-frills burger was modest but consistent. So much so that it resonated with consumers rapidly. It first launched in 1940 at the chain’s original San Bernardino, California restaurant. The humble creation set the stage for McDonald’s global empire and revolutionized the way customers thought about quick, delicious meals.

The Big Mac is born

McDonald’s meteoric rise over the past 70 years was made possible by a series of savvy business moves, including its Big Mac and an aggressive international expansion.

To be the behemoth of fast food, McDonald’s had to reinvent itself time and again — which also meant that it has had to tailor its menu to appeal to customers in certain regions, as well as to customers going through tough economic times.

The next bigger, grander Big Mac

Enter another big ol’ burger. In 2017, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Big Mac, McDonald’s introduced the Grand Mac. The burger, which the chain reintroduced in January of this year (but only for a limited time), puts the Big Mac to shame. The patriarch of burgers features four beef patties, extra toppings, American cheese, and more sauce, all stuffed between three sesame buns.

At the time, McDonald’s also introduced the Mac Jr. for consumers that wanted a lighter option. That smaller, single-patty version of the Big Mac has since been discontinued.

The Big Arch Brainchild

To get consumers who are worried about inflation to spend at the chain, McDonald’s is going bigger than a Big Mac, and for that matter, bigger than a Grand Mac, too.

Cue the Big Arch. What makes the Big Arch different from its cousins? Well, so far we know that it includes two beef patties, layered melted cheese, “crispy” toppings, and a slab of signature tangy sauce, according to the chain’s CEO Chris Kempczinski.

Notably, it also weighs more. To compare, the Big Mac weighs roughly 7.6 ounces. The heftier Grand Mac weigh about 11.4 ounces (even with four patties). Notably, the Big Arch comes in at a whopping 14 ounces, per McDonald’s Portugal.

McDonald’s is pilot testing the special burger in select markets, including Portugal and Canada — notably, Canada is one of the first regions McDonald’s expanded to on its quest for international domination back in 1967.

McDonald’s executives did not explicitly say whether the Big Arch would make its way to the U.S. (just yet). But the chain has been hinting for months that it can get consumers back with larger burgers, more chicken, and a better coffee experience.

That has yet to be seen; in fact, the chain’s second-quarter earnings weren’t so hot. Despite missing the mark, McDonald’s is hell bent on keeping its competitive edge by extending its popular $5 meal deal to stave off competitors like Starbucks, Burger King, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Arby’s, Chipotle, Shack Shake, and even Sonic.