McDonald’s president has come out fighting after criticism of the fast food chain’s new $5 value meal.
But he wasn’t so forthcoming about a major catch that’s emerged for customers in many parts of America.
Customers will get a total of four items – either a McDouble or McChicken sandwich, small fries, small soft drink and four McNuggets – when the offer hits restaurants on Tuesday (June 25).
It was thought that not every restaurant will offer the deal – with those that have higher labor and rent costs opting out.
But it has now emerged that McDonald’s has a sneaky way around this, charging $6 at certain restaurants in Alaska, California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, Manhattan in New York and Washington.
McDonald’s deal goes on sale on Tuesday, June 25 for a week
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McDonald's fans left fuming as new $5 deal comes with a major catch – despite fast food chain's billions in profits
Some fans are also disappointed that the deal will only last for a month rather than all summer – like deals from rivals.
Not only that, McDonald’s was beaten by rivals who got value deals out first.
Burger’s King’s almost identical $5 offer launched last week, while Wendy’s and Starbucks rolled out breakfast deals recently too.
‘We’re committed to winning the value war,’ Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald’s US, said in an interview with Bloomberg News on Thursday.
McDonald’s also brought back app-only “Free Fries Friday” that allows customers to snag a free medium fry with any $1 minimum purchase through the end of 2024.
After news of McDonald’s deal leaked in May, rivals rolled out their offers ahead of it – and even took digs at the home of the Big Mac.
Burger King’s boss promised in a letter to franchisees to introduce its $5 value meal ‘before they do.’
True to his word, the chain’s new $5 Your Way Meal landed in restaurants last week.
Customers get a choice of one of three sandwiches – a Whopper Jr, a Bacon Cheeseburger or Chicken Jr – plus four chicken nuggets, fries and a soft drink.
Launching a $3 breakfast offer, Wendy’s, mocked its competitor on social media for stealing their ideas.
Starbucks also made a surprise entry into the value war with a coffee and food breakfast combo from $5.
In the interview with Bloomberg, Erlinger said he is focussed on McDonald’s rather than its rivals.
He said that the scale of McDonald’s – the latest chain by sales in America – gives it an edge over smaller rivals. The cost of adding fries and drink to a burger was small, he said.
It is not something that franchisees all agree with. They operate nine out of ten McDonald’s and are worried that customers will trade down from a pricier Big Mac meal to the $5 value meal that for many restaurants will make no profit.
McDonald’s made an eye-watering $14.5 billion profit last year.
Erlinger wrote an open letter to customers claiming its price rises aren’t as bad as some media is reporting
McDonald’s is trying desperately to battle perceptions that it has raised prices so much it is no longer good value.
In fact, last month Erlinger wrote an unprecedented open letter to customers claiming its price rises aren’t as bad as some media is reporting.
In the letter, he says prices have ‘only’ gone up 40 percent across its 14,000 US restaurants since before the pandemic.
The letter was aimed to calm the furore around the soaring cost of fast food – which is now so high that four in five Americans consider it a luxury.