McDonald's has a millennial problem

A McDonald&#039;s Big Mac and french fries.

(Image credit: JOERG KOCH/AFP/Getty Images)

published 19 October 2016

Young people just don't like Big Macs anymore.

Just one in five millennials has even tried a Big Mac, the fast-food giant's iconic burger offering, according to a memo written by one of McDonald's top franchisees. As young people opt for "better burger" options that use fresher ingredients like those of Shake Shack and Smashburger, Mickey D's frozen fare has sunk in popularity. A Consumer Reports survey in 2014 ranked the Big Mac the worst hamburger in the country.

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The world's largest burger chain — whose strategy has emphasized low cost and speed for six decades — has now begun testing made-to-order burgers with premium beef and different cooking techniques that focus on flavor in an attempt to woo America's increasingly health-conscious consumers. They've also hired 200 new digital team members to try to leverage social media in the battle to win back their lost millennial customers.

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Kelly Gonsalves is a sex and culture writer exploring love, lust, identity, and feminism. Her work has appeared at Bustle, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, and more, and she previously worked as an associate editor for The Week. She's obsessed with badass ladies doing badass things, wellness movements, and very bad rom-coms.

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