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Oh this is interesting. I wasn’t aware Value Meal was a thing but I’m glad they kept their value sandwiches always available. I have never seen them advertise t

Oh this is interesting. I wasn’t aware Value Meal was a thing but I’m glad they kept their value sandwiches always available. I have never seen them advertise the value line so I assume they’re not that profitable compared to say a QP or a Big Mac.

to11mtm 2y ago
> I have never seen them advertise the value line so I assume they’re not that profitable compared to say a QP or a Big Mac. Per the article, this is a pretty recent thing (4 weeks or so). I've seen a couple adverts, but I'm back off the gluten so haven't really looked close. Okay, it's a McDouble or McChicken, small Fries, 4pc nuggets, and a small drink. Blinks Okay I officially give my local 7-11 some credit because they started a very competitive deal to this. That said, I'll quip that before COVID, I could probably get all of that under 5$. ----- As an aside, I would posit that in the US, Fast Food Restaurants by and large have been falling into this 'death spiral' because they all seem to be hitting this loop: 1. Try to skimp on labor like you did during covid lockdown. 2. Food Service Industry costs are up everywhere, but a bunch of people start realizing that they could get carry-out from a local diner about as quickly as they could wait for an order they place at the kiosks symbolizing the beginning of the franchise wars. Let alone with a modern air fryer, you can make tasty stuff with round tortillas, cheese, and meat in less time. 3. So, People go to the fast food places less or just cook their own stuff. 4. Oh no we have to raise prices or go back to step 1! Local restaurants (around me, anyway) have been capitalizing on this by providing some combination of more food, better quality food, or better service for the same dollar amount. It's not just McDonald's, they're just the most 'visible' because the stupidity of Yum! gets amortized with the not-stupid.
- stonethrowaway 2y ago
  I don’t want to do an apples to oranges comparison but that $5 value meal is good value for what it is. If I go to a restaurant and order a steak they’ll charge me a preposterous amount for some subpar meat whereas if I pay 15% more I can get A5 Wagyu at a butcher’s. I get it - it’s not the same, but if their overhead is so severe then that restaurant has problems. Except, if every restaurant raised their prices then it points to a more systematic issue. Prices of just about everything have gone up significantly, for starters. Even getting raw ingredients in some cases does not mean you’ll save that much money. So, again, good on McD to offer this. It’s reasonably priced.
  - PenguinCoder 2y ago
    Not even; around here. The benefits of McDees or fast food was it was fast and cheap. Now it is neither, and still crap quality. I'd rather spend my $6 on a much higher quality burger from a local place. Often faster even. $5 at McDees is lower quality, slower service, and just not worth it. I don't expect a steak at McDonald's. So I compare my alternatives of where I can also get a hamburger. Every single option, is better.
- fragmede 2y ago
  McDonald's is now competing with Doordash/UberEATS/etc for all dining options. If I'm ordering food, the ratio of how long it takes to cook, vs delivery time is irrelevant, I only care how long it takes to arrive in total.
- ThunderSizzle 2y ago
  > Okay, it's a McDouble or McChicken, small Fries, 4pc nuggets, and a small drink. > ...before COVID, I could probably get all of that under 5$. McDouble and McChicken was $1.19. I believe small fries was $.89, and 4pc nuggets was probably $1 to $1.19 and drink (any size) was $1. If that's right, that was ~$5.30. With cumulative inflation being at least 20-25%, it makes sense that this tracks that inflation value, but by "shrinkflation". You lose one item for the same price, and must get a small drink instead of any size. So now it's 20%+ less food for the same money
  - seanmcdirmid 2y ago
    I’m pretty sure it’s mcchicken, McDouble, or 4 piece + small fry and small drink. But I haven’t seen in my market yet, so maybe I’ll be surprised. Reminds me of the all American meals they used to have in the 90s, just with a slightly better sandwich option.

to11mtm 2y ago

> I have never seen them advertise the value line so I assume they’re not that profitable compared to say a QP or a Big Mac. Per the article, this is a pretty recent thing (4 weeks or so). I've seen a couple adverts, but I'm back off the gluten so haven't really looked close. Okay, it's a McDouble or McChicken, small Fries, 4pc nuggets, and a small drink. Blinks Okay I officially give my local 7-11 some credit because they started a very competitive deal to this. That said, I'll quip that before COVID, I could probably get all of that under 5$. ----- As an aside, I would posit that in the US, Fast Food Restaurants by and large have been falling into this 'death spiral' because they all seem to be hitting this loop: 1. Try to skimp on labor like you did during covid lockdown. 2. Food Service Industry costs are up everywhere, but a bunch of people start realizing that they could get carry-out from a local diner about as quickly as they could wait for an order they place at the kiosks symbolizing the beginning of the franchise wars. Let alone with a modern air fryer, you can make tasty stuff with round tortillas, cheese, and meat in less time. 3. So, People go to the fast food places less or just cook their own stuff. 4. Oh no we have to raise prices or go back to step 1! Local restaurants (around me, anyway) have been capitalizing on this by providing some combination of more food, better quality food, or better service for the same dollar amount. It's not just McDonald's, they're just the most 'visible' because the stupidity of Yum! gets amortized with the not-stupid.

stonethrowaway 2y ago
I don’t want to do an apples to oranges comparison but that $5 value meal is good value for what it is. If I go to a restaurant and order a steak they’ll charge me a preposterous amount for some subpar meat whereas if I pay 15% more I can get A5 Wagyu at a butcher’s. I get it - it’s not the same, but if their overhead is so severe then that restaurant has problems. Except, if every restaurant raised their prices then it points to a more systematic issue. Prices of just about everything have gone up significantly, for starters. Even getting raw ingredients in some cases does not mean you’ll save that much money. So, again, good on McD to offer this. It’s reasonably priced.
- PenguinCoder 2y ago
  Not even; around here. The benefits of McDees or fast food was it was fast and cheap. Now it is neither, and still crap quality. I'd rather spend my $6 on a much higher quality burger from a local place. Often faster even. $5 at McDees is lower quality, slower service, and just not worth it. I don't expect a steak at McDonald's. So I compare my alternatives of where I can also get a hamburger. Every single option, is better.
fragmede 2y ago
McDonald's is now competing with Doordash/UberEATS/etc for all dining options. If I'm ordering food, the ratio of how long it takes to cook, vs delivery time is irrelevant, I only care how long it takes to arrive in total.
ThunderSizzle 2y ago
> Okay, it's a McDouble or McChicken, small Fries, 4pc nuggets, and a small drink. > ...before COVID, I could probably get all of that under 5$. McDouble and McChicken was $1.19. I believe small fries was $.89, and 4pc nuggets was probably $1 to $1.19 and drink (any size) was $1. If that's right, that was ~$5.30. With cumulative inflation being at least 20-25%, it makes sense that this tracks that inflation value, but by "shrinkflation". You lose one item for the same price, and must get a small drink instead of any size. So now it's 20%+ less food for the same money
- seanmcdirmid 2y ago
  I’m pretty sure it’s mcchicken, McDouble, or 4 piece + small fry and small drink. But I haven’t seen in my market yet, so maybe I’ll be surprised. Reminds me of the all American meals they used to have in the 90s, just with a slightly better sandwich option.