Millennials are currently America's largest demographic. In other words, they're America's tastemakers. Turns out, these tastemakers have very particular — some might even say picky — tastes. This demographic is more health-conscious than previous age groups and when it comes to food, many millennials are looking for gourmet-style fare. That is not good news for fast-food giants like McDonald's.
A recent piece from the Wall Street Journal reported a significant statistic about millennials and one of McDonald's most iconic menu items. According to WSJ, four in five millennials have never tasted a Big Mac. Depending on who you are, this might come as a total surprise. I consumed many Big Macs during my college years — who am I kidding, I still eat them all the time — so I was shocked. However, considering millennials' desire for fresh, healthful, and sustainable food options, this stat actually makes sense.
McDonald's recognizes that it's not so popular with this trendsetting group and it's made a few recent changes that will hopefully appeal more to millennials. These changes include transitioning to cage-free eggs, fresh beef burger patties, and preservative-free chicken McNuggets. The fast-food restaurant is now targeting the Big Mac in its mission to upgrade. The Wall Street Journal also reported that next year, McDonald’s plans to introduce two new Macs: The Grand Mac, which will be even bigger than the classic Big Mac, and the Mac Jr., which will be smaller. We'll just have to wait and see if those picky millennials will give these new Macs the time of day.
By: Olivia Harrison
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