McDonald’s Is Opening Its First Ever Chef’s Table, and a ‘Top Chef’ Winner Is Running It
The one-day tasting puts the Quarter Pounder with Cheese under the spotlight.
Summary
McDonald’s and Top Chef Season 22 winner Tristen Epps-Long are launching Inside the Golden Arches, a first-of-its-kind chef’s table experience
Guests will watch the Quarter Pounder with Cheese being made and taste staples like the Egg McMuffin, Chicken McNuggets and World Famous Fries
Epps-Long, who once worked behind a McDonald’s counter, will lead the experience from both a chef’s and a former crew member’s point of view
McDonald’s has tapped Top Chef Season 22 winner Tristen Epps-Long for Inside the Golden Arches, a one-day chef’s table experience taking place in New York City on October 29. Set at a McDonald’s counter, the reservation-only event lets fans hear from chefs and experts about the ingredients and preparation behind some of the chain’s most recognizable menu items.
The Quarter Pounder with Cheese takes center stage, with guests getting a front-row view of how the burger comes together. According to McDonald’s, its patties use 100% beef that is never frozen, arrive at local restaurants two to three times a week and only hit the grill once an order is placed. The menu then widens to other signatures, with the Egg McMuffin, Chicken McNuggets and World Famous Fries rounding out the tasting. The format also promises answers to long-running fan curiosities, from why the Egg McMuffin’s egg comes out perfectly round to what goes into the chain’s fries.
Epps-Long brings a personal connection to the counter, having worked as a McDonald’s crew member before building his career in professional kitchens. McDonald’s notes that he is one of the roughly one in eight Americans who have worked at the chain. His path eventually led to the title on Top Chef Season 22, which took the competition to Canada. “McDonald’s was where I got my start, and the experience helped shape the way I think about food and hospitality,” Epps-Long said in a press release announcing the event.
The tasting fits into a broader push by McDonald’s to turn its menu into an experience, following buzzy fan-facing moments such as the 2023 Grimace Birthday Meal. Pairing a fine-dining format with a decorated chef who started on its own line gives the brand a fresh way to spotlight how its everyday food is made.
Inside the Golden Arches takes place October 29 in New York City, with reservations opening October 22 through McDonald’s event registration page on a first-come, first-served basis, limited to two seats per booking. A Quarter Pounder with Cheese meal with medium fries and a drink then arrives at participating McDonald’s restaurants nationwide starting November 2.
