The Wendy’s burger chain has remade its Dave’s Hot ‘N Juicy burger, the culmination of two years of research that promises a juicier, less pickled and more crispy and buttery experience.

The process to launch the new burger was a social experiment of sorts in search of what Americans wanted from their burger as well as visits to burger sellers around the country, and a poll of over 10,000 people inquiring about their likes and dislikes, according to the Associated Press.

"We have a lot of catching up to do in some areas," added Gerard Lewis, Wendy's head of new product development. "But after we launch this hamburger there will be folks who need to catch up to us."

Many changes were made such as trying green leaf lettuce, nixing square bread for its artificialness, toasting the bread (in a slice of butter) and generally making the meat thicker and less ‘pressed’ when it came to the final item.

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Company executives also tried to the make the tomato slices thicker, consulted a food scientist for pickles, and ultimately made moves towards emphasizing the flavor of beef – reducing onions and pickles and selecting whole mayonnaise.

"I've traveled more with this burger than I have in my entire life," Shelly Thobe, Wendy's director of hamburgers and new platforms told AP.

Nutritional information for the burger shows that about 10 calories have been added in comparison to the old burger.

McDonalds’ Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese (740 Cals/279g beef with 42g fat) and Angus (750-800 Cals/40g fat) by comparison, have slightly less calories and fat. Dave’s Hot ‘N Juicy has 810 Calories/226g beef with 48g fat.

Wendy’s International Inc. – which currently has 6,000 restaurants around the country – is facing pressure in a market that is increasingly McDonald’s dominated. The chain famous for its golden arches has grown to 49.5 pct of the market.

Wendy’s also faces competition from up-and-coming chains in the ‘Fast-casual’ category, according to AP. Five Guys - founded in 1986 by a husband and wife team – has 750 outlets.

Analysts meanwhile, are suggesting that Wendy’s relaunch of the Dave’s Hot n Juicy burger is perhaps a bit overdue: "It probably would have been a bigger deal if it had happened a lot sooner," said Bob Goldin at Technomic, “It's still a big chain but it's got so much catching up (to do)."

A follow-up to this year’s burger relaunch - Project Gold Hamburger, Project Gold Chicken will look at how to make the perfect chicken sandwich.