McDonald’s is days away from officially launching the return of a seasonal favorite: the Shamrock Shake.
The celebratory St. Patrick’s Day drink will arrive on Feb. 10, just over a month before the holiday arrives.
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Consumers might already be familiar with the Shamrock Shake, its minty-vanilla contents and its annual fundraising efforts for Ronald McDonald House Charities (a portion of Shamrock Shake proceeds go to the nonprofit organization). However, 2025’s rollout will look a bit different than those of previous years.
After a struggle in sales following an E. coli outbreak last October, the fast food giant is now enlisting the help of a retro McDonaldland character: Uncle O’Grimacey.
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Nearly 40 years since his last appearance, the "Sham Rock, Ireland" native is back.
The fuzzy green mascot is celebrating this year’s launch of the Shamrock Shake, as well as the 50th anniversary of Ronald McDonald House Charities – the first of which opened in Philadelphia in 1974 thanks to proceeds from a local franchise’s Shamrock Shake sales. Now, 25 cents from each Shamrock Shake sale goes to over 380 chapters of Ronald McDonald House Charities stationed throughout the world.
In 2023, Uncle O’Grimacey’s nephew, Grimace, spurred a 10% increase in McDonald’s U.S sales following the release of the viral Grimace Birthday Meal. The retro mascot’s renewed appearance in McDonald’s marketing was the first time the company utilized vintage IPs, followed by yet another blast from the past with the 2024 opening of retro concept restaurant CosMcs in Bolingbrook, IL.
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Third time could be a charm with the return of Uncle O’Grimacey. McDonald’s unveiled the beloved character in 1975, before disappearing just a decade later. As late as 2012, a spokesperson for McDonalds even stated Uncle O’Grimacey had no plans to rejoin the cast of McDonaldland characters. As a result, his inclusion in this year’s Shamrock Shake promotions is a welcome perk for nostalgic fans.
