McD.L.T.
Discontinued McDonald's menu item
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The McD.L.T. (short for McDonald's Lettuce and Tomato) was a hamburger sold by the fast-food restaurant chain McDonald's from 1984 to 1991. The product's marketing focused on keeping the hot and cool components separate until the customer assembled them, popularized by the slogan "Keep the hot side hot, and the cool side cool."[1]
| |
| Alternative names | McDonald's Lettuce and Tomato |
|---|---|
| Type | Hamburger |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Serving temperature | Hot and cold ingredients in separated compartments |
| Main ingredients | Beef patty, bun, lettuce, tomato, American cheese, pickles, condiments |
McDonald's discontinued the sandwich in early 1991, citing complaints about its bulky polystyrene packaging and logistical difficulties in restaurant kitchens.[2]
History
In the mid-1980s, McDonald's sought to introduce menu items positioned as fresher or lighter options to compete with the Whopper from rival chain Burger King. Reporting on the chain's expansion into fresh vegetables noted that McDonald's had historically resisted placing lettuce and tomato on burgers, fearing the hot meat would wilt the ingredients and make the bun soggy.[3] McDonald's developed a dual-compartment sandwich package that physically separated the hot and cold components.[4] The product rolled out nationwide in 1985 as the McD.L.T.
Product and packaging
The McD.L.T. was served in a specialized, extra-wide dual-compartment polystyrene (styrofoam) container. One side held the bottom bun and the hot beef patty, while the other side held the top bun, lettuce, tomato, American cheese, pickles, and sauces.[1] The customer was instructed to flip the "cool" side onto the "hot" side immediately before eating.
The dual-clamshell compartment packaging created operational challenges in McDonald's kitchens. The container was nearly double the size of a standard burger box, which required special equipment for storing it after preparation to heat one side while cooling the other, and it occupied twice as much space in the bins (chutes) behind the counter.[5] Critics also noted that the open-air area above the "hot" side allowed the beef patty to lose heat rapidly, often resulting in a tepid sandwich by the time the customer consumed it.[2][failed verification]
Marketing
The McD.L.T. is remembered for an extensive marketing campaign. A 1985 commercial featured actor Jason Alexander singing and dancing in a Broadway-style production promoting the sandwich's unique packaging.[6] The ads featured the jingle "Keep the hot side hot, and the cool side cool."
In competitive analysis of the time, the McD.L.T. was considered a major "signature" sandwich intended to rival the Whopper.[7]
Discontinuation
McDonald's use of polystyrene foam packaging became a frequent target of environmental criticism during the late 1980s. Activists often cited the McD.L.T.'s large container as a symbol of excessive waste.[1]
In late 1990, amid growing public and regulatory pressure, McDonald's announced it would phase out foam packaging. The chain discontinued the McD.L.T. in January 1991, replacing it with the McLean Deluxe, a lower-fat burger that did not use the dual-compartment packaging.[8]
McDonald's revisited the "hot and cold" concept in later years with the Big N' Tasty, though it was served in standard cardboard and paper packaging.