By Solé Scott
Editor-in-Chief
Fast food is no longer affordable, and I blame McDonald’s for getting rid of the dollar menu and charging an arm and a leg.
There was once a time when I craved a Happy Meal with four-piece Chicken McNuggets, animal crackers, apple slices, a small fry and a drink, all for less than $4.
That was well over 10 years ago. Now that same meal, minus the animal crackers, costs $8 plus tax.
The McChicken sandwiches are no longer $1, but a whopping $4. The Filet-O-Fish has also gone up in price to almost $6. A Filet-O-Fish meal is now $11, a significant increase from its original price before COVID-19.
That is disappointing considering the company was created on affordability. Recently, McDonald’s introduced the extra value meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Breakfast meals are $5, while lunch and dinner combo meals are $8. A Big Mac meal for $8 is a steal compared to the original price of $14.
However, the downside is that this offer is only for participating locations for a limited time.
I understand that this deal is location based, but I have noticed that most of the McDonald’s I go to do not advertise these meals on their drive through menu.
Yet, when I open the McDonald’s app, I see the value meals, and I can order from a nearby location.
This defeats the purpose of these value meals because most customers do not use the app. It is not fair to people like my grandma, who is old school and is unaware of the cheaper meals.
I just wonder why the most popular fast-food chain in the world would eliminate an affordable section on their menu that was accessible to all customers.
The menu is not as packed as it once was. McDonald’s has gotten rid of chicken selects, the artisan chicken sandwich, salads, cheesy bacon fries, animal crackers and so much more.
Snack wraps would have been on that list, but they reintroduced them on the menu this summer. Yet, they do not taste the same at all, as the chicken seems like leftover McNuggets.
Another problem with McDonalds is that they let their competitors like Wendy’s, Burger King and Dairy Queen dominate in the meal deal market.
Wendy’s is the most successful when it comes to meal deals, as they offer their popular Biggie Bags. The seven bags are between $5 to $8, and customers can choose from a variety of mixes and matches.
Dairy Queen, which is underrated for their food, has introduced a $7 meal. Customers can choose between a cheeseburger meal and a 3-piece chicken strip meal.
Last winter into spring, Burger King had $5 duos and $7 trios where customers could choose from a limited menu of a Whopper Jr, bacon cheeseburger, original chicken sandwich, medium fries, 8-piece chicken fries and a medium soft drink.
These kinds of deals keep customers coming back. Unfortunately, McDonald’s joined the trend late, while their competitors had a head start.
At the end of the day, McDonald’s is a name we all know and will continue to know for generations to come, but it is losing its audience by not keeping prices affordable.
The chain now leaves customers wondering if it is cheaper to go to the grocery store or continue buying fast food.
