McDonald’s Japan went highend recently, releasing a trio of special-edition gourmet burgers filled with thick slices of pineapple, black truffles and chorizo sausage for about $10 a luxury burger.
Released in one-day-only sales, the premium sandwiches were presented in glossy, white boutique bags emblazoned with the golden arches.
Replacing generic burger boxes, meanwhile, were fancy, shiny gift boxes housing sandwiches with names like the Gold Ring, Black Diamond and Ruby Spark, a limited-edition series dubbed the Quarter Pounder Jewelry Series.
Sandwiches were released intermittently throughout July and sold for one day only.
Kicking off the series was the Gold Ring, filled with thick slices of grilled pineapple, smokey thick-cut bacon, Monterey Jack cheese and barbecue sauce — a combination that won the approval of one Australian customer.
The Black Diamond burger was perhaps the most decadent, featuring grilled mushrooms, onions, cheese and a black truffle sauce, while the Ruby Spark was filled with slices of spicy chorizo sausage, avocado and Pepper Jack cheese.
Major fast-food burger chains have faced increasing pressure from smaller, mid-sized brands such as Five Guys, Shake Shack and In-N-Out which tout made-to-order, premium offerings.
One way of trying to compete has been to launch specialty and novelty sandwiches. Burger King, for instance, installed new broilers in their restaurants in order to handle meatier sandwiches like the Steakhouse XT Burger back in 2009, while Wendy’s recently unveiled a pretzel bun bacon burger.
