McDonald's bringing back McNugget Buddies in adult Happy Meal

As a child, seeing which mini-toy was inside a McDonald’s Happy Meal was always a thrill. Getting all the miniatures in the collection was a must, which meant multiple trips to the Golden Arches fast-food restaurant.

McDonald’s is bringing that sense of wonder back — for kids and adults.

“This is a McDonald’s memory for a lot of people,” said Nick Delligatti, McDonald’s owner and operator as a fourth-generation franchisee in the Pittsburgh area and great-grandson of Big Mac inventor Jim Delligatti. “You don’t know what you get until you open the package. I always loved collecting the set.”

Even Delligatti doesn’t know which character will be in the next Happy Meal when it launches on Monday — but the adult-sized meal includes the choice of 10-piece Chicken McNuggets or Big Mac, plus a soft drink, French fries and a McNugget Buddy collectible.

The Happy Meal box it comes in was designed by artist and lifelong McDonald’s fan Kerwin Frost, who grew up in Harlem, N.Y.

“With last year’s Cactus Plant Flea Market Box, we unlocked the childlike joy of opening a Happy Meal box for fans of all ages,” Tariq Hassan, McDonald’s USA chief marketing and customer experience officer said in a statement. “Fans told us they wanted to celebrate that quintessential childhood experience again. So, we’re excited to team up with Kerwin on this next take, as he brings his own childhood McDonald’s memories to life through re-imagined McDonald’s characters.”

Frost said in a statement that he has loved McDonald’s since he was a kid.

“Now, coming up with my own special set of Buddies – each one representing different aspects of self-expression – it’s unreal, a dream come true,” he said. “

Delligatti said McDonald’s is open to future collaborations with artists and creatives.

“There is a nostalgic feeling to this,” Delligatti said. “This happy meal brings back memories like when the cereal boxes had prizes and that would be the best thing in the world to reach in and grab that prize. I can’t wait.”