McDonald's Introduces $5 Meal Deal to Address Complaints Over High Prices

McDonald's is addressing complaints about high prices with a $5 meal deal, including a Sausage McMuffin with Egg and a $8 Big Mac meal with medium fries and a soft drink. The chain is also launching an $8 10-piece Chicken McNuggets Meal and keeping the price of the Snack Wrap at $2.99 until the end of 2025. The meal deals aim to make McDonald's meals more affordable and are available nationwide throughout the fall.

McDonald's has responded to customer complaints about high prices by introducing a new range of value meals. The fast-food chain will offer eight meal deals starting September 8, with prices ranging from $5 to $8. These meals include popular items such as the Sausage McMuffin with Egg, Big Mac, and 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, accompanied by fries or hash browns and a drink. The company aims to make its meals more affordable, following a 40% increase in menu item prices between 2019 and 2024 [3].

The $5 Sausage McMuffin with Egg meal, which includes hash browns and a small coffee, and the $8 Big Mac meal, which comes with medium fries and a medium soft drink, are the initial offerings. These meals represent a 15% savings compared to buying the items separately. Additionally, McDonald's will introduce an $8 10-piece Chicken McNuggets Meal in November and keep the Snack Wrap at $2.99 until the end of 2025.

McDonald's President Joe Erlinger stated that the company is focused on delivering value and affordability to its customers. The Extra Value Meals are part of a broader effort to attract budget-conscious consumers, who have seen a decline in visits due to higher prices. The chain has previously offered similar promotions, such as the $5 Meal Deal and the $1 add-on deal, to address these concerns [1][2].

The introduction of these value meals comes as McDonald's same-store sales grew by 2.5% in the April-June period, primarily due to higher prices. However, the company has seen a drop in visits from lower-income consumers, who now perceive McDonald's as less of a good value [2].

McDonald's is not the only fast-food chain to introduce price cuts. Competitors like Domino's have also launched promotions to attract customers. Overall U.S. fast food customer traffic fell nearly 1% in the second quarter, indicating that chains are offering more deals to remain competitive [2].

In conclusion, McDonald's Extra Value Meals are a strategic move to address price concerns and attract budget-conscious consumers. The company aims to make its meals more affordable while maintaining quality and variety.

References:
[1] https://www.southernliving.com/mcdonald-s-extra-value-meal-11801967
[2] https://www.wral.com/story/price-cuts-at-mcdonalds-may-signal-a-broader-fast-food-price-war/22142116/
[3] https://www.morningstar.com/news/pr-newswire/20250902cg62463/mcdonalds-celebrates-the-return-of-extra-value-meals-with-5-sausage-mcmuffin-with-egg-meal-and-8-big-mac-meal