McDonald's Menu Adding a Surprise International Favorite

The fast-food giant rarely brings items from its global menus to its U.S. stores.

McDonald's has locations all over the world and they all cater to local tastes while also serving the classic menu. You can always get a Big Mac and french fries, but the chain will also have specific items designed to serve whatever culture the chain is operating in.

In India, for example, McDonald's (MCD) - Get Free Report serves a variety of meat-free options. If you visit the chain in Japan, you can sample local flavors like the Cheese Cheese Teriyaki McBurger, the Roasted Soy Sauce Double Thick Beef, and of course, the Setouchi-Lemon Tartar Bacon Teritama.

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Most of these items will never appear on an American menu. Maybe the chain will borrow a sauce or some piece of one of its global menu items, but you aren't going to see the Setouchi-Lemon Tartar Bacon Teritama (a burger topped with an egg, teriyaki sauce, tartar sauce, bacon, lemon, and pickles at your local Mickie D's.

That does not mean every item served around the world won't work in the United States. McDonald's actually has plans to bring an item served in nearly 100 of its markets around the world to the U.S. in mid-April.

McDonald's Adding a New McFlurry Flavor

McDonald's has a very limited dessert menu. It offers its famed apple pie, a variety of ice cream offerings, and its McFlurry. This beloved treat comes in M&M and Oreo as standard flavors, but the chain has been known to add some special flavors to the menu.

Now, it has been confirmed by the popular (and credible) Snackolator Instagram account that the chain will add a new flavor of the McFlurry to its menu on April 12.

"We originally posted the rumors of this new McFlurry last week after it was said to include Oreo cookies and strawberries like the version in Singapore, but McDonald's has now confirmed it will be much more exciting! Beginning April 12th, you will be able to get the new Strawberry Shortcake McFlurry nationwide and it will include vanilla soft serve mixed with strawberry flavored clusters and buttery shortbread cookies," the social media account shared.

And, if you liked the idea of both strawberry and oreos, you could customize your order and have both.

McDonald's Building On Its Iconic Brands

Adding a new McFlurry flavor builds on McDonald's strategy of leveraging its best-known brands.

CEO Christopher Kempczinski spoke about those efforts during his company's fourth-quarter earnings call.

"Throughout 2022, some of our most successful campaign platforms brought our customers closer to the core menu items they love," he said. "The strength of our brand goes beyond the Golden Arches themselves and includes our iconic products such as our world famous French Fries, the Big Mac or Chicken McNuggets and the McFlurry."

The CEO made it clear that McDonald's has a number of brands it can build off of, each with massive consumer recognition.

"Each of these products are billion-dollar brands and in total, McDonald's possesses 10 of these billion-dollar brand equities. In an environment where our customers are looking for the simple and familiar, our core menu items have never been more relevant or beloved," he shared.

Going forward, the chain plans to build off its best-known products while also improving how it executes its entire menu.

"Throughout the year, we continue to step up our game on the favorites that build our heritage. We're delivering hotter, juicier, more delicious burgers and building on the success of emerging equities like the McCrispy Chicken Sandwich. As a result, we are gaining market share in both chicken and beef. When customers want to enjoy our classic favorites, they are increasingly looking for even more personalized and convenient ways to get their meals," the CEO added.