McDonald's $MCD is introducing a Caesar Sauce and three chicken menu items at participating U.S. restaurants starting July 21, the company said.
McDonald's describes the sauce as having a rich parmesan base with garlic and lemon running through it. It will be available on its own as a dip cup, ordered à la carte, or as part of two new limited-time menu items.
At $2.99, the Caesar Snack Wrap bundles a McCrispy Strip, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, and Caesar Sauce inside a soft tortilla. The Bacon Caesar McCrispy Sandwich layers Caesar Sauce, applewood smoked bacon, shredded lettuce, Roma tomatoes, crispy onions, and crinkle-cut pickles over a McCrispy filet, all served on a toasted potato roll. Both items are available for a limited time at participating locations, the company said.
The chain also reformulated its McCrispy Strips, swapping in a panko breading that the company says delivers a more pronounced crunch.
The Caesar flavor returns to McDonald's after an absence tied to the chain's 2020 elimination of its salad menu, which had included a chicken Caesar variety, according to Today. When McDonald's announced the sauce on Instagram, customers responded by calling for the return of Caesar salads and, further back, the chain's early 2000s McSalad Shakers, which had included a grilled chicken Caesar option, according to Today.
The Caesar Sauce launch fits into a broader push at McDonald's around chicken, beef, and beverages that the company outlined earlier this year. McDonald's unveiled a global growth strategy called McDonald's > NEXT in June, which placed particular emphasis on raising the bar on chicken offerings as competitors including Chick-fil-A, Raising Cane's, and others have drawn chicken-focused diners away from the chain. The new Caesar items follow a series of sauce-driven chicken launches in recent months, including Hot Honey Sauce in January, Buffalo Ranch Sauce last November, and a Special Edition Gold Sauce last September, each paired with limited-time snack wraps and McCrispy sandwiches.
McDonald's first-quarter results, reported in May, showed domestic comparable sales rose 3.9%, driven by higher average check sizes. The company credited menu innovation, including the Big Arch burger launched in March, as a contributor to the quarter's momentum.