What was McDonald's first major premium burger, introduced in 1996?

The Arch Deluxe was McDonald's major premium burger introduced in 1996.

McDonald's positioned the Arch Deluxe as a more sophisticated burger aimed at adults rather than children. Its advertising emphasized a specially formulated mustard-and-mayonnaise sauce, a potato-flour bun, and ingredients presented as more refined than the chain’s standard fare. The launch was supported by a large advertising campaign and was intended to expand McDonald's appeal beyond its traditional family image.

The product is often confused with later premium burgers such as the Big N' Tasty. The Arch Deluxe was the earlier high-profile attempt to create an upscale McDonald's burger, but it failed to achieve the expected sales and was eventually discontinued.

Its branding history is important because it showed the limits of changing a familiar fast-food identity through premium language alone.