Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
McDonalds Unleashing CRAZY New Quarter Pounders With...Red Onions
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Nov 25, 2012
Modified Nov 25, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Nov 25, 2012
Modified Nov 25, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Like alcohol, pawnshops, and repo men, McDonald's spent most of the recession raking in cash. But last month, the chain saw profits dip for the first time since 2003. What will it take for us to keep shoveling empty calories down our jaundiced gullets? Red onion, apparently. NRN reports that McDonald's is unleashing three new types of Quarter Pounders, one with habanero ranch sauce, white cheddar, and bacon, and two others that are cheeseburgers with red onion.
How could tweaking the color of the onion in a burger raise sales? Are we really that stupid? Tim Nelson, the president of the ad agency Tris3ct and apparent master of the dark art of tricking people into slowly killing themselves, explains that we most certainly are.
“Anything that brings the focus back to core products brings the focus back to bundled meals,” Nelson said. “If you innovate around your signature equities and do things that, while they bring new news to those products, can sell Extra Value Meals, you can work back to … getting customers in the habit of buying core products as part of a meal bundle, as opposed to a la carte….McDonald’s is lucky in that they’ve never played this card, and they’ve had the Quarter Pounder for how long? It’s fortunate that they have something that could be so substantially incremental to their offering and value perception.”
So, McDonald's is lucky that they are able to do something so "substantially" pointless in order to alter our "value perception." Who's the cattle now?
McDonald's is currently testing the sandwiches. The company also replaced their U.S. president after the news of the profit shrinkage, and is planning on rolling out a 260-calorie McMuffin made with of egg whites in January, which will taste fantastic with their 460-calorie Cinnamon Melts and a 270-calorie McCafe Caramel Hot Chocolate.
Tagged
fast food
mcdonald's
obesity epidemic
red onion
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .