McDonald’s (MCD) currently uses frozen beef to make its classic hamburgers, but it’s thinking about making a change.
The world’s largest hamburger chain is testing fresh beef in a handful of its restaurants. McDonald’s spokesperson Lisa McComb confirmed to Fortune that the test is taking place at 14 locations in the Dallas area. However, it’s still very early in the game, and there’s no word yet on whether or not it could be extended to more locations.
“Like all of our tests, this one too is designed to see what works and what doesn’t within our restaurants by considering the operational experience, customer response, price points and other important information which may inform future decisions,” McComb said. “It’s very premature to draw any conclusions from this test.”
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The test is limited to menu items made with quarter pound burger patties—the Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Bacon Clubhouse, and the Homestyle Burger, a regional burger served at certain Texas outposts. McComb was unable to expand at this point in time on whether using fresh beef could contribute to slower operations or higher prices. Though if the test goes well, using fresh beef could improve both the quality of the product as well as consumers’ perception of the brand.
Considering burgers are a pretty big seller at the fast food chain, switching over to fresh beef at even a portion of McDonalds’ 14,000 U.S. restaurants would be an incredible undertaking.
