McDonald's says it's improving its burgers, bringing back Hamburglar: Here's what to know

The Hamburglar is back. And the villain is after what McDonald's says are the chain's best burgers ever.

McDonald's is improving its hamburger, cheeseburger, double cheeseburger, McDouble burger and Big Mac, the company said Monday.

Improvements include softer sandwich buns, which are toasted golden brown, "perfectly melted cheese," and a "juicier, caramelized flavor from adding white onions to the patties while they’re still on the grill," the company said in an update shared with USA TODAY. Big Macs will also be served with more sauce.

Some West Coast cities will be getting the new burgers this week and as the changes are rolled out across the U.S., cities will see new commercials and other promos featuring the Hamburglar.

McDonald's serves up its newest McFlurry:The Strawberry Shortcake McFlurry, available now

You can see the Hamburglar in a new commercial posted on YouTube. This iteration looks more like the cartoonish character of the late 1980s, as opposed to the more realistic-looking Hamburglar in his last appearance in 2015.

McDonald's looks to improve its burgers

"We found that small changes, like tweaking our process to get hotter, meltier cheese and adjusting our grill settings for a better sear, added up to a big difference in making our burgers more flavorful than ever," Chef Chad Schafer, McDonald's USA senior director of culinary innovation, said in a statement.

The burger changes have been introduced in Australia, Canada and Belgium and are being rolled out starting this week in several West Coast cities including Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Sacramento, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Denver, Boise, Tucson, and surrounding cities.

All U.S. restaurants will have McDonald's improved burgers by 2024, the company said. 

McDonald's layoffs

These cooking changes come as McDonald's earlier this month initiated a company-wide restructuring including hundreds of layoffs and pay reductions for some employees, The Wall Street Journal reported. The company's growth strategy, implemented since the beginning of the pandemic, has targeted an accelerated pace of restaurant openings, as well as strengthening its digital, drive thru and delivery services.

McDonald's 2022 global sales grew about 11%; U.S. sales increased by almost 6%, the fast-food giant reported in January. 

Contributing: Amanda Pérez Pintado, USA TODAY.

Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @mikesnider. 

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