What Value Menu Option Includes

Fast food and hamburger giant McDonald’s on Thursday revealed details of a planned $5 meal that was in the works last month.

McDonald’s new $5 meal deal “reaffirms its commitment to offering high-value, affordable menu options,” according to a press release.

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The new promotion begins Wednesday, June 25 and is available for a limited time only at participating restaurants and through its mobile app. Here is what the offer offers:

McDouble or McChicken sandwich
Small fries
Chicken McNuggets in 4 pieces
Small soft drink

McDonald’s noted that the price of the $5 meal may vary by location. “We’ve heard our fans loud and clear: They’re looking for even more value from us, and this summer, that’s exactly what they’ll get,” Joe said. Erlinger, president of McDonald’s USA in a press release. “Value has always been part of our DNA. We strive to live up to that legacy and offer delicious, affordable options that customers can enjoy every time they walk through our doors, drive through our drive-thru or place an order through our app. “In addition to the new $5 meal deal, other specials include:Free Fries Fridays: Now through the end of 2024, customers can get a free average order of fries with a minimum purchase of $1 through the McDonald’s app.

National French Fry Day on July 13: Customers can get free fries of any size, no purchase necessary.

Local McDonald’s owner/operator Marissa Thrower Fisher is excited about the new $5 meal deal. Thrower Fisher operates three McDonald’s locations in Macomb County and two in Oakland County.

“This is an opportunity to not only provide great deals, but also allow our customers to feel valued while enjoying our signature menu items without breaking the bank,” she said.

Thrower Fisher also said the meals deal was competitively crucial, while acknowledging that inflation concerns had “changed spending habits” and “influenced consumer behavior.”

“At McDonald’s, we have always been quite adaptive and the $5 meal initiative is crucial and will help us maintain competitive prices, while providing great value to our customers.”

McDonald’s has doubled down on allegations of significant price increases – more than inflation – on some of its popular menu items, like the Big Mac.

It all started with a social media post about an $18 Big Mac meal at a McDonald’s restaurant in Connecticut. The message prompted a letter from Erlinger to customers.

In the letter to customers dated May 30, 2024, Erlinger wrote that they “must remain focused on value and affordability.”

He also wrote that reports that McDonald’s had raised prices beyond the rate of inflation were inaccurate.

“The average price of a Big Mac in the United States was $4.39 in 2019,” Erlinger wrote. “Despite a global pandemic and a historic rise in supply chain costs, wages and other inflationary pressures in the years since, the average cost is now $5.29. This represents an increase of 21 % (not 100%).”

Erlinger also wrote that franchisees, who represent 95 percent of all his restaurants in the United States, set the prices of their restaurants’ menus “which explains the increasing costs of operating their businesses.”

Economists predict a decline in customers due to rising restaurant costs. The Labor Department’s latest Consumer Price Index report found that the cost of dining out increased by less than half a percentage point in May and by 4% from the same period l last year.

According to a May 21 CNBC report, while a group of franchisees praised the affordability of the proposed $5 deal for the consumer, they were pushing for McDonald’s to contribute to the deal so that it would be sustainable for them.

Iconic soft drink company Coca-Cola, according to CNBC, is helping McDonald’s fund the promotion. “Coca-Cola added marketing dollars to the equation to make the deal more attractive,” CNBC reported last month. In a statement, Coca-Cola said: “We regularly collaborate with our customers on marketing programs aimed at meeting consumer needs. This helps us grow our businesses together.

CNBC said financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.

Contact Detroit Free Press food editor Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: [email protected]. Follow @SusanMariecooks on X (formerly Twitter.) Support local journalism and become a digital subscriber to the Free Press.