For decades, McDonald’s customers have complained that the fast-food giant reserves its most fun and innovative menu items for international markets, leaving its home country with the same predictable seasonal releases.
Frustrating as it may seem, there is a deliberate strategy behind this madness.
McDonald’s tailors its menu in each country based on cultural preferences, ingredient availability, and what can be executed efficiently at scale. The same goes for limited-time and seasonal items.
While menus vary around the world, a small set of staples remain consistent, including the world-famous French Fries, the classic Hamburger and Cheeseburger, the Big Mac, McNuggets and the Vanilla Cone.
This localization strategy reduces operational risk and improves return on investment, which is why each country maintains its own line of exclusive offerings.
Historically, McDonald’s has taken a cautious approach to bringing international items to the US, selectively testing them and tailoring availability based on regional preferences and past performance. In most cases, localized articles remained local.
However, that is changing now.
McDonald’s has unveiled a whole range of international menus coming to US restaurants across the country in 2026, marking one of the company’s most ambitious market launches in recent years.
Here’s the full list, with all items set to launch in the next few days.
McDonald’s ( MCD ) first introduced honey hot sauce in Australia in March 2025, aiming to capitalize on what it described as “the hottest trend everyone’s talking about,” according to a company press release. The sauce was later released in New Zealand and Canada, each for a limited time.
Now, less than a year later, it’s heading to the US
The hot honey sauce combines honey with red bell pepper and cayenne pepper, finished with a hint of tangy vinegar. Along with it, McDonald’s is launching three new menu items that include the trendy sauce.
Related: McDonald’s History: Timeline and Facts
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Hot Honey Bacon McCrispy: A crispy chicken fillet topped with thick cut applewood smoked bacon, crispy jalapeños, shredded lettuce, creamy mayo and hot honey sauce, served on a French fries roll (Source:McDonald’s)
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Honey Hot Snack Wrap: A McCrispy strip topped with shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, and hot honey sauce, all wrapped in a tortilla (Source:McDonald’s)
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Biscuit with eggs, hot honey sausage: A pork sausage bun and a poached egg topped with hot honey sauce on a real butter biscuit (Source:McDonald’s)
The hot honey sauce and all three new menu items will be available for a limited time beginning Jan. 27 at participating U.S. locations and can be added to any menu item, according to the Snackolator Instagram page.
Although the new products have not officially launched, they are already appearing on the McDonald’s website.
The Big Arch Burger debuted in Portugal in July 2024 and quickly gained popularity, prompting McDonald’s to expand it to Canada, Germany, Australia, the UK, Ireland and France.
During an earnings call in mid-2024, McDonald’s acknowledged the burger’s strong performance and universal appeal, prompting it to accelerate its expansion.
“The pilot of our larger burger offering, the Big Arch, now in three international markets, Portugal, Germany and Canada, shows that we are listening to consumer tastes and delivering,” McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said in the earnings call.
“We will work with franchisees and partners to roll out Big Arch faster in more international markets in 2025.”
Following positive reception overseas, McDonald’s tested the Big Arch in the US at its Chicago restaurant for a limited time.
This massive burger has two quarter-pound buns, three slices of white cheese, crispy onions, chopped onions, pickles, lettuce and Big Arch sauce, all sandwiched between a sesame seed and a poppy seed bun.
While the Double Quarter Pounder comes close, it’s not the same. McDonald’s is positioning Big Arch as a more premium, value-based option.
In Canada, a Big Arch table costs about $12.59, or about $9 in the US. Despite the higher price, the company says the burger offers greater value, an increasingly important selling point as consumers become more conscious of their spending.
McDonald’s sees the Big Arch as a key driver of traffic in multiple markets, helping global comparable sales grow nearly 4% year-over-year in the second quarter of fiscal 2025.
After extensive testing, Big Arch will make its US national debut in early March 2026, according to The Street.
Like much of the fast-food industry, McDonald’s has faced increasing pressure in recent years, particularly in the US. Slower foot traffic, rising food costs and weaker spending weighed on the results.
Food at home prices rose 2.6 percent, while food at home prices rose 3.7 percent in the 12 months ending in September 2025, according to recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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During the quarter ending in June 2025, food service traffic fell 1% as consumers dined out less often, according to Circana. However, value menu traffic rose 1%, marking the first positive increase in three years.
Circana also found that value-focused diners are 33 percent more likely than non-value shoppers to buy value menu items when visiting other chain restaurants, highlighting how aggressively consumers are looking for savings and deals.
In response to cautious consumer spending, McDonald’s launched several value-focused initiatives, including Extra Value Meals, the McValue menu and $5 meal deals.
In March 2025, the company launched the Restaurant Experience Team, combining operations, supply chain, franchising, development, restaurant design, delivery and Speedee Labs to drive innovation and efficiency. It has also created three new global category management teams focused on beef, chicken and beverage/desserts to further specialize innovation in its food products.
“Value is rarely defined by price alone,” said David Portalatin, senior vice president and industry advisor for food and foodservice, Circana. “Operational excellence in delivering quality, affordability, great experiences and convenience is what drives winning restaurants and their supply chain partners to greater success.”
These efforts are beginning to bear fruit. In the third quarter of fiscal 2025, US comparable sales rose 2.4%.
Despite the improvements, McDonald’s remains cautious.
“We continue to remain cautious about the health of the U.S. consumer and in our top international markets, and we believe pressures will continue through 2026,” McDonald’s Chief Executive Christopher J. Kempczinski said in an earnings call.
“It’s a fundamental expectation of our brand to bring consumers through our doors and keep them coming back.”
Related: Taco Bell is doubling down on its ability to make food affordable
This story was originally published by TheStreet on January 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the Restaurants section. Add TheStreet as a favorite source by clicking here.