McDonald’s Slashes Combo Meal Prices to Win Back Budget-Conscious Diners
McDonald’s is rolling out price cuts on select combo meals in a bid to lure back customers put off by rising fast-food costs. Starting September 8, the chain will reintroduce its “Extra Value Meals,” offering popular items like the Big Mac, Egg McMuffin, and McCrispy sandwich paired with fries or hash browns and a drink at roughly 15% less than if purchased separately. To kick off the promotion, most U.S. locations will feature an $8 Big Mac meal and a $5 Sausage McMuffin meal, though customers in California, Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam will pay $1 more. The move comes after years of declining visits from lower-income customers, with industry data showing double-digit drops in fast-food visits among households earning under $45,000 annually. McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski acknowledged that combo meals priced over $10 have hurt the brand’s value perception. The company has faced criticism for steep price hikes in recent years, with the average menu price rising 40% since 2019 du...
