McDonald’s Officially Announces $5 Nationwide Offer

McDonald’s announced Thursday the launch of its $5 meal deal, along with other ways for customers to save this summer.

The $5 meal deal, available starting June 25, includes a McDouble or McChicken, small fries, four-piece Chicken McNuggets and a small drink. The company said the offer will appear on menus for a limited time at participating restaurants. Bloomberg previously announced that it would last four weeks.

“We heard our fans loud and clear: They expect even more value from us, and this summer, that’s exactly what they’ll get,” Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald’s USA, said in a statement. “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.

Additionally, McDonald’s is offering a free medium fry with any $1 purchase through the mobile app every Friday through the rest of 2024. On National Fry Day (July 13), customers can get free fries of any size.

As inflation puts pressure on low-income consumers, McDonald’s felt flat in the face of declining first-quarter industrial traffic in the United States. The hamburger giant first hinted that a national value platform would be launched during its first-quarter earnings conference call in late April. CEO Chris Kempczinski said the chain was looking for a more centralized offering instead of multiple localized offerings.

“I think, again, we have a lot of value locally, but the question is how do we come together in the United States around a stronger national value platform that can compete? told investors on April 30. “I think how long this takes will depend on the individual conversations that take place in the market, but clearly once this is in place the business could start to respond quite quickly.”

Although McDonald’s has emphasized its desire to strike a deal with national value, the brand highlighted the local agreements reached by its franchisees in a recent press release. Some examples include a BOGO for $1 breakfast sandwiches in Memphis or a Double Cheeseburger and small fries for $3.50 in Columbus, Ohio. More than one percent of U.S. carriers offer meal plans for $4 or less.

“Affordable prices and creating memorable moments are what McDonald’s is all about,” John Palmaccio, franchisee and chairman of the operator’s National Advertising Fund, said in a statement. “As small business owners, it’s our responsibility to deliver great value to our local communities when they need it most. The $5 Meal Deal is the perfect complement to the daily local deals customers can find in-store and on the app, like the 25% off any purchase of $10 or more that I offer at my restaurants in Savannah , in Georgia.

The $5 meal deal comes shortly after McDonald’s clarified its menu price hikes after several news organizations reported significant hikes over the years. The chain has debunked some false narratives (i.e. the Big Mac Meal has not increased 104% since 2019; in reality, the average price in 2019 was $7.29 and the average price in 2024 is $9.29, an increase of 27%).

McDonald’s isn’t the only one offering value deals. On June 10, Burger King launched its $5 Meal Your Way (choice of a Jr. Whopper, Jr. Chicken or Bacon Cheeseburger, four-piece chicken nuggets, fries and drink) . The deal will last until the end of summer. The brand is also testing two other value deals that could come in the second half of 2024. In May, Wendy’s announced a $3 English muffin deal at breakfast; Guests can get small seasoned potatoes and their choice of a Bacon, Egg and Cheese English Muffin or a Sausage, Egg and Cheese English Muffin. That’s in addition to the chain’s $5 Biggie Bag during lunch and dinner periods.