McDonald's Teams With Dr Seuss For Grinch Meal Launch
McDonald’s announced a licensed partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises and will roll out the Grinch Meal at participating U.S. restaurants on December 2, 2025. The seasonal promotion could affect frontline operations because it adds new menu items, limited edition merchandise and a coordinated marketing push that may require extra stocking and staffing at restaurants.
McDonald’s announced in a Nov. 20 press release that it will introduce the Grinch Meal at participating U.S. restaurants beginning December 2, 2025. The licensed partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises places a seasonal, adult focused offering on menus nationwide and comes with a coordinated marketing plan that includes a television spot, in app promotions and other brand placements.
The Grinch Meal pairs either a Big Mac or a 10 piece Chicken McNuggets with Dill Pickle flavored Grinch Salt McShaker Fries, a drink and a limited edition pair of collectible socks. The package is being promoted as a limited time adult focused product and will appear in McDonald’s digital and traditional advertising throughout the holiday period.
For restaurant employees and franchise operators the announcement is more than a consumer marketing story. New menu items and a short run SKU for the Grinch Salt seasoning and collectible socks will require point of sale updates, merchandising at front counter and in lobby areas and inventory tracking for time limited items. Crew will likely need guidance on preparing and presenting the new McShaker Fries variant and managers will need to account for merchandising displays and redemption of collectible items.
The broader marketing push through TV and in app channels may drive higher traffic during the promotion window, increasing demand at peaks and complicating labor scheduling for restaurants that see large holiday surges. Franchisees will manage supply deliveries for the Grinch Salt seasoning and the sock promotion, and corporate operations will oversee rollout details at participating locations.
Seasonal promotions have long been used to drive incremental sales but they also add operational complexity for frontline staff. The Grinch Meal demonstrates how brand collaborations can create consumer excitement while also creating logistical and staffing challenges for restaurants that must execute limited time programs alongside regular menu operations.
