McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) is really getting serious about its cult hits.
Just months after taking the scrumptious McRib sandwich national, the global fast-food king is taking over the U.S. with another once-selective offering: the Shamrock Shake.
For those unfortunate enough to not already be in the know, McDonald’s Shamrock Shake is a vanilla shake infused with a blast of green mint syrup that has tickled taste buds for more than four decades. It is released around St. Patrick’s Day and enjoys just a few weeks of life across a fraction of the chain’s locations.
However, last year McDonald’s expanded the Shamrock Shake’s radius to about half its 14,000 locations, and this year, every U.S. Mickey D’s will serve the Irish holiday-tethered treat.
The logic seems similar to when McDonald’s announced last fall that its McRib would also enjoy a national roll-out: The chain can re-energize its existing customer base with a “rare” menu item, as well as entice a score of new customers.
But the Shamrock Shake also is just a page — albeit a slightly twisted one — out of the traditional McDonald’s playbook. The company has had a string of success stories in its dessert and beverage offerings. The company’s McCafe beverages have been a boon to the company’s profit margins, and in summer 2011, the company enjoyed a boost in sales after it introduced a frozen strawberry lemonade treat.
Fast-food companies in general have made big nods to the sugary side of food sales. Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) has been selling its iconic chocolate Frosty since 1969, though in the past decade, the chain has made serious changes to boost sales, including offering vanilla as a flavor and adding mix-ins like Oreo bits. Drive-in specialist Sonic (NASDAQ:SONC) also offers shakes, but it’s better known for its nearly 400,000 possible combinations of soft drinks and flavored syrups.
Even Jack in the Box (NASDAQ:JACK) has taken its own limited-time shot at specialty treats, hopping onto the national bacon-ating fad with its recent unveiling of the bacon milkshake. The shake contains a heart-stopping 24 ounces of milk and pork that tips the scales at 1,081 calories and 54 grams of fat — and some restaurants can’t even keep them in stock.
Kyle Woodley is the assistant editor of InvestorPlace.com. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
