The McRib is returning on Dec. 3 to participating restaurants and as McDonald’s says, “Tis the season…McRib SZN that is.” But McRib fans aren’t the only ones cheering that the iconic pork sandwich is back.
“The McRib is a massive pull on pork supplies,” says David Newman, senior vice president of market growth at the National Pork Board.
Earlier this fall, Newman attended a McDonald’s global packer forum. He says a big question from the attendees was, “What about the McRib?”
“Everybody was a little worried about what was going to happen to the McRib post Prop 12,” Newman explains. “At that time, McDonald’s said, ‘The McRib has been a staple menu item in the fall for us for years, and we don’t plan on that going away.’”
The McRib, primarily made of ground boneless pork shoulder, maximizes a somewhat underutilized primal – the boneless picnic, Newman adds.
Back-of-the-napkin math illustrates the incredible value of the limited time offer (LTO) McRib sandwich. There are just over 13,000 McDonald’s stores in the U.S., Newman says. Not all stores carry the McRib, that is up to the franchise owners. But let’s say 10,000 of these franchisees sell one McRib at just over 7 oz. in size. That moves 70,000+ oz. of ground pork out of the market. Every time 10 McRibs are sold in every store, that’s 43,750 lb. of pork moving through the market, he illustrates.
“That is a massive number,” Newman says. “Hundreds of thousands become millions of pounds in a very short period of time. It’s huge that we have a LTO that is pork centric. Imagine what it would be like if it weren’t in the marketplace.”
He says the enormous success of the McRib offered as an LTO is why McDonald’s doesn’t serve it year-round.
“They can move more McRibs as an LTO than they can keeping it as a standing menu item, because it’s actually something that drives people to the store,” Newman says. “People are like, ‘Oh, when is the McRib coming out? Because when it comes out, we’re going to McDonald’s!’”
Southern Missouri and Northern Arkansas area McDonald’s owner/operator Andi Hilburn-Vaini is thrilled it’s McRib season again.
“The classic taste of our seasoned boneless pork, paired perfectly with McDonald’s smoky and tangy BBQ sauce is a tradition that requires extra napkins,” Hilburn-Vaini says. “I absolutely love the McRib and it tastes even better knowing that with every bite, I’m supporting pork producers right here in the USA!”
What’s New This Season?
Be on the watch for a McRib-inspired anthem celebrating the return of the beloved sandwich and helping fans kickstart the season, McDonalds announced. Also, for the first time ever, McDonald’s gave fans a chance to savor the McRib’s signature flavor. The sale of half-gallon jugs of ‘A Whole Lotta McRib Sauce,’ the iconic McRib sauce, went on sale online at 10 am ET on Nov. 25, but supplies sold out within seconds of the launch.
“The McRib is more than a sandwich – it’s a part of culture, it’s a legend, it’s an event,” Tariq Hassan, chief marketing and customer experience at McDonald’s, said in a release.
Check out your nearest participating McDonald’s on Dec. 3 to grab a McRib.
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