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Probably would have been better to raise prices and then have "Happy Hour" type discounts during slow periods. The net result would be the same but the percepti

Probably would have been better to raise prices and then have "Happy Hour" type discounts during slow periods. The net result would be the same but the perception of getting price gouged for going during traditional meal times would not be there.

alhirzel 3y ago
Agreed - this plays to how discounts attract people. I think an individualized "happy hour" could also be interesting, e.g. letting people pick the weekday they have discounted so they can form habits.
jerlam 3y ago
Yep, happy hours are already well-understood and accepted. As long as they make their hours clear and obvious and standard across their restaurant line. Shifting to ridesharing's surge pricing is much different, especially if the user has to find out the pricing when they arrive at the restaurant. Ride sharing apps fundamentally sidestep this because you see the surge pricing without incurring a cost, and you can compare to competitors easily. But with all the restaurants wanting more mobile orders, this may split the customer base in weird ways.
- semi 3y ago
  >Ride sharing apps fundamentally sidestep this because you see the surge pricing without incurring a cost Somewhat, but if your plan was to ride share home your choice might just be incur the cost or gamble that waiting will make it better and not worse.
taftster 3y ago
"Happy Hour" usually implies alcohol, which obviously Wendy's doesn't support. But your idea is actually really interesting, maybe even innovative. Instead of the constant price changes from a digital menu, a fast food restaurant embracing "happy hour" in the context of their own menu offerings. I think this could maybe play.
- Mountain_Skies 3y ago
  Taco Bell already has "Happier Hour" for their drinks, which are all non-alcoholic, so near terminology is already in play. I'm curious if Taco Bell would try to claim ownership over the term. In light of them opposing Taco John's owning a trademark on Taco Tuesdays, it would be difficult for them to justify.
  - paradox460 3y ago
    Some taco bells also serve alcohol. They are generally called Taco Bell cantinas
- JoshTriplett 3y ago
  > "Happy Hour" usually implies alcohol, which obviously Wendy's doesn't support. Many, many restaurants have "happy hour" menu pricing to encourage people to come at off-peak times, without necessarily having any correlation with alcohol. I don't think anyone would question the naming.
add-sub-mul-div 3y ago
A movie theater near me is now charging more money to see Dune than other movies. The "cheaper" movies are certainly not at a price point I'd consider discounted. It's just an extra fee to see Dune straight up, like the other fees you pay if you want to see it in their premium screen format. Wendys has raised prices already, and they will raise prices again at the time this launches for whatever they consider their premium hours.
- JoshTriplett 3y ago
  I wonder to what extent that reflects higher prices being charged by the studio for showing the movie, and to what extent that's just raising prices because they expect people will still pay it?
  - add-sub-mul-div 3y ago
    I'd be happy to reassign blame away from the theater if it's not their doing, but either way I'm not going there anymore.
paradox460 3y ago
Sonic has been doing this for at least 20 years, probably longer. As a college student, Sonic happy hour was a great time to go get food not so great for you
takinola 3y ago
My (uneducated) guess is that Wendy's has a demand smoothing problem and some high up executive read a book on dynamic pricing and reached for the most complicated solution to implement it. This brings to mind the old chestnut about the Russian and American space programs looking to solve the problem of writing in zero-G.
- Atotalnoob 3y ago
  When have you ever seen a slammed Wendy’s? I’m sure there are, but I’ve never seen them… It’s always in and out or chick fil a that is busy…
  - nothercastle 3y ago
    Yeah never seen a Wendy’s with chick f volumes
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]

alhirzel 3y ago

Agreed - this plays to how discounts attract people. I think an individualized "happy hour" could also be interesting, e.g. letting people pick the weekday they have discounted so they can form habits.

jerlam 3y ago

Yep, happy hours are already well-understood and accepted. As long as they make their hours clear and obvious and standard across their restaurant line. Shifting to ridesharing's surge pricing is much different, especially if the user has to find out the pricing when they arrive at the restaurant. Ride sharing apps fundamentally sidestep this because you see the surge pricing without incurring a cost, and you can compare to competitors easily. But with all the restaurants wanting more mobile orders, this may split the customer base in weird ways.

semi 3y ago
>Ride sharing apps fundamentally sidestep this because you see the surge pricing without incurring a cost Somewhat, but if your plan was to ride share home your choice might just be incur the cost or gamble that waiting will make it better and not worse.

taftster 3y ago

"Happy Hour" usually implies alcohol, which obviously Wendy's doesn't support. But your idea is actually really interesting, maybe even innovative. Instead of the constant price changes from a digital menu, a fast food restaurant embracing "happy hour" in the context of their own menu offerings. I think this could maybe play.

Mountain_Skies 3y ago
Taco Bell already has "Happier Hour" for their drinks, which are all non-alcoholic, so near terminology is already in play. I'm curious if Taco Bell would try to claim ownership over the term. In light of them opposing Taco John's owning a trademark on Taco Tuesdays, it would be difficult for them to justify.
- paradox460 3y ago
  Some taco bells also serve alcohol. They are generally called Taco Bell cantinas
JoshTriplett 3y ago
> "Happy Hour" usually implies alcohol, which obviously Wendy's doesn't support. Many, many restaurants have "happy hour" menu pricing to encourage people to come at off-peak times, without necessarily having any correlation with alcohol. I don't think anyone would question the naming.

add-sub-mul-div 3y ago

A movie theater near me is now charging more money to see Dune than other movies. The "cheaper" movies are certainly not at a price point I'd consider discounted. It's just an extra fee to see Dune straight up, like the other fees you pay if you want to see it in their premium screen format. Wendys has raised prices already, and they will raise prices again at the time this launches for whatever they consider their premium hours.

JoshTriplett 3y ago
I wonder to what extent that reflects higher prices being charged by the studio for showing the movie, and to what extent that's just raising prices because they expect people will still pay it?
- add-sub-mul-div 3y ago
  I'd be happy to reassign blame away from the theater if it's not their doing, but either way I'm not going there anymore.

paradox460 3y ago

Sonic has been doing this for at least 20 years, probably longer. As a college student, Sonic happy hour was a great time to go get food not so great for you

takinola 3y ago

My (uneducated) guess is that Wendy's has a demand smoothing problem and some high up executive read a book on dynamic pricing and reached for the most complicated solution to implement it. This brings to mind the old chestnut about the Russian and American space programs looking to solve the problem of writing in zero-G.

Atotalnoob 3y ago
When have you ever seen a slammed Wendy’s? I’m sure there are, but I’ve never seen them… It’s always in and out or chick fil a that is busy…
- nothercastle 3y ago
  Yeah never seen a Wendy’s with chick f volumes
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]