This is how important the Quarter Pounder is to McDonald’s and why it will want to address E. coli concerns quickly [Video]

A push by McDonald’s to revamp the Quarter Pounder in recent years — switching to fresh beef and pushing a marketing campaign complete with “I’d rather be eating a Quarter Pounder” stickers — hit a hurdle this week with an E. coli outbreak tied to the sandwich.

The Golden Arches’ focus on the classic Quarter Pounder since its 2018 revamp had been paying off — leading to a 50% increase in sales during the first month after its rollout, the company said at the time.

And since then, the Quarter Pounder and other “classics” like the Big Mac have made up more than 70% of food sales in recent years in top McDonald’s markets, an executive said.

That underlines just how important the Quarter Pounder is to McDonald’s — and why it will want to address the food-safety concerns quickly.

Investors sense the importance, too: McDonald’s stocktumbled sharply late Tuesday as the company said it would temporarily remove the burgers from menus in …