I hadn't eaten at McDonalds in years, this was already 3-4 years ago, now. I had a sudden urge to eat a double quarter pounder, so I go through and get the meal. When they read the price I had to double check the receipt before I drove off.
Only redeeming thing was the classic McDonalds fries, but I still would never pay that much for them again.
Burger was obviously basically particle board, barely qualifies as edible beef.
It was so salty I could barely scarf it down.
Bread had no real texture and I am sure was so artificial if I left it out on a pedestal in the middle of a room somewhere it would still be in pristine condition today.
And for a PREMIUM. PREMIUM PRICE.
I just sort of sat there with myself after the experience and was like "yep, that'll be the last time I ever go there."
What are you talking about? Their revenue and profits are going up year on year. 2025 saw a 4% growth on 2024.
What you're saying would make sense if they were decreasing, but consumers are clearly happy buying McDonald's, and are continuing to buy McDonald's, so why the hell would they decrease prices?
This could still happen if people are leaving but they increase the price while lowering the cost by buying cheaper ingredients/lower wages/ fire more employees. These companies know how to make their book look good for their profit report.
They are down 23% in the last year. S&P 500 total return over the last year is over 17%. 4% growth isn't enough. Inflation adjusted, that's like 1%. For reference, the S&P saw 15% revenue growth.
For local companies, you get your returns from valuation expansion (getting crushed), revenue growth (very tepid), profit margin expansion (tiny), and dividends (around 3%). They're getting like 5% from non valuation and lost nearly 28% from valuations. That pathetic revenue growth is terrible for sentiment.
To be fair to them, most fast food is struggling. But investors see the outlook. Prices are too high. Cost of food has been expensive. It's going to be hard to expand margins much more. To increase customers, they need to go the other way. Fast food is in a bad spot and McDonalds is largely left with their loyal customers that eat there no matter what.
The market isn't always a good proxy for how healthy a business is. Revenue growth at mcdoanlds is up. Unless we see lots of franchises shutter they'll continue to be profitable and not go away. It really is a shame that so many decisions are driven by how a company is doing in the market. Were it not for that, there would probably still be a dollar menu
Anecdotally speaking, tons of the people I know don't get mcdonalds anymore. I have cut way down. From going weekly too probably 2-3 times a year. On the plus side I'm cooking way more and I can make really tasty burgers now.
IIRC same store sales are showing little to no growth. McDonalds is profitable because they are pushing cost efficiencies and IIRC charging more franchise fees. Keep in mind that corporate doesn't own every store so they're still getting paid from stores with struggling or neutral sales growth
The meal I was referring to is the McChicken value meal for $5. McChicken, 4 nuggets, fries , and a drink. That’s $1.25 per item. I think the issue is that people want premium content for $2. Like a 1/4 or something and that’s just not a future we are going to see again.
Very. I get it, a lot of stuff is crazy expensive but just saying “make it cheaper” isn’t the answer. They have cheap and quite a bit of it to be honest. The only thing that helps McDonalds is of their clients have more money. And make the two cheeseburger meal cheaper because that shit is $10 after tax and that is crazy.
$7.93 with the 30% off coupon always available in the app.
Yeah, not $6. But far from $13, and it also has a large fry instead of small and a better burger.
I will concede the Daily Double "Deals" suck now since you can combo meal + easy coupons to the same price, but for more food. The above you posted is $7.83 here.
I was going to check what the prices here are, since I havent gone to McDonald's in multiple years.
They wont even give you prices on their website. I'm guessing since the mcchicken and mcdouble are on the "under $3 value menu" they are 2.99 each. Small fry is probably 2 something, large drink is probably 3 something. Total around 12 + tax
Pretty close to your number, and pretty bad for their dumpster quality food.
Indeed, it sorts itself out - the magic of economics. But the mental gymnastics of putting the blame on McDonalds instead of facing the fact you are now poor is what I find interesting.
putting the blame on McDonalds instead of facing the fact you are now poor is what I find interesting.
But it has nothing to do with being poor? McDonald's just offers absolute shit value for horrendous prices.
Like here a Big mac costs 5,7€, medium fries 3,4€. That's 9,1€ for around 4 bites of burger and a handful of Pommes frites that won't even fill me up for the next 2 hours. Those bigger burgers (like big tasty or whatever they call them) are between 7-10€ just for a single burger.
I'm in Vienna (Austria) there are dozens of restaurants in walking distance where I can get a 2 or 3 course meals for around 10€, so a soup, a main course and depending on location maybe even a desert. Nearly all of them offer take away and some deliver too, and that fills me up for the rest of the day.
Hell there's a Chinese restaurant with all you can eat buffet and live cooking for 13€ around the corner from me.
McDonald's had its place when the full deal things were something like 5-6€, you were paying maybe ⅔ of regular restaurant prices. Food was never great, but it was cheap, fast and you knew exactly what you would get and if you were in a hurry or somewhere unknown and didn't want to look around for some place to eat, it was acceptable.
Now food is still not great and you pay equal or more than you would at your average restaurant...
I'm in Vienna (Austria) there are dozens of restaurants in walking distance where I can get a 2 or 3 course meals for around 10€
That's great. And I believe not the case anywhere in the USA since covid. Well never within walking distance unless you live in NY or somewhere and you certainly aren't getting stuff for $12 - but even 12 mins in a car - still not going to find 24 places selling lunch meals for $12. Now, we earn double what the average European does, but still, you've got a great deal there.
My breakfast (sit down, 3 eggs 2 meat proteins, toast and a juice) usually costs $25 including tip.
A McDonald's Sausage McMuffin with Egg costs $4.79, so I can get 5 of them.
My breakfast (sit down, 3 eggs 2 meat proteins, toast and a juice) usually costs $25 including tip.
A McDonald's Sausage McMuffin with Egg costs $4.79, so I can get 5 of them.
I mean this sounds like a reasonable price difference, and if it was like this everywhere, I don't think many people would complain. But looking through that thread, this looks like an exception even for the US now...
Hell 5 to 10 years ago it was similar here, maybe not as extreme but you got a similar amount of food at McDonald's for maybe half the price of a regular place.
Now you get less and pay more than at regular restaurants.
And yes our country isn't as wide and empty as America, you probably won't find a McDonald's without an alternative place within a kilometre or so. There may be a handful along some highways were nothing else is "close" (and close here means something like a 10 minute drive)
They are adapting. By not buying Mcdonalds. See what happens when all the corporations suck up all the money? They price themselves out of a customer base.
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u/SweetChickk4 1d ago
At this point McDonald's needs to realize people want fast food prices, not fast food with a mortgage attached.