Quarter Pounder

The Quarter Pounder is a hamburger product sold by international fast food chain McDonald's, so named for containing a patty with a precooked weight of a quarter of a pound (113.4 g). It was first introduced in 1972. In 2013, the Quarter Pounder was expanded to represent a whole line of hamburgers that replaced the company's discontinued Angus Third Pounder hamburger. In 2015, McDonald's increased the precooked weight to 4.25 oz (120.5 g).

History

The Quarter Pounder was created by Al Bernardin, a franchise owner and former McDonald's Vice President of product development, in Fremont, California, in 1971. Bernardin had moved to Fremont in 1970 after purchasing two company-owned McDonald's restaurants.

Bernardin began experimenting with new menu items for his McDonald's franchises. According to a 1991 interview, Bernardin noted that he "felt there was a void in our menu vis-à-vis the adult who wanted a higher ratio of meat to bun." In 1971, Bernardin introduced the first Quarter Pounders at his McDonald's in Fremont using the slogan, "Today Fremont, tomorrow the world." His Quarter Pounder became a success and was added to the national American menu in 1972.