Customers criticized the price point for the bundle seen on a digital drive-thru screen in Southern California.
The exact price was $25.39 for the meal — a 40-piece Chicken McNuggets Bundle with two large french fries but no drink, as emphasized by a McDonald’s fan named Shannon (@shannon_montipaya) in a recent clip.
“You couldn’t even throw in the Sprite?” she asked.
In the bottom right corner of the advertisement, a suggestion to complete the meal with a drink could be seen for an added charge.
“You couldn’t even throw like a medium Sprite in there? Holy crap.” Shannon continued to inquire.
Her video quickly caught the attention of McDonald’s customers all over the world, garnering over 35,000 likes and nearly 5,000 comments.
Several were shocked by the cost of the meal bundle, noting vastly different prices for the same selection in their area.
The cost differences were as high as $12.
“The 40 piece of nuggets is $13 at my McDonald’s. That’s insane!” someone exclaimed.
Another wrote, “That exact meal at my McDonald’s costs only 16 dollars. This is a location thing.”
Others noted prices for the same meal of $12, $18, and $19.
Some joked that the $25.39 40-piece Chicken McNuggets Bundle should be renamed the “going broke meal.”
A few continued to echo that the price differences were likely determined state-by-state.
In California’s case, the hourly minimum wage was raised to $20 for fast food workers, per Fox Business.
Fans felt that the $25.39 meal bundle at McDonald’s could already be a reflection of how the wage increases are impacting prices for customers around The Golden State.
“Welcome to California,” someone remarked.
“20 minimum wage…..welcome to your new normal,” another said.
A select few customers felt Shannon and other customers were overreacting, considering the items included in the bundle, as the meal is designed to serve four people.
Someone commented that it would be about $12.50 per person, not a terribly high price for a fast food meal in general.
PRICE PROMISE
As The U.S. Sun previously reported, McDonald’s has promised to address price complaints from customers that have been popping up since late last year.
Some claimed that the chain’s hash browns saw a spike in price while others blamed shrinkflation on the Filet-O-Fish.
McDonald’s CFO Ian Borden promised “consumer-led” pricing decisions this year and acknowledged customer concern.
“We certainly know consumers are more wary — and weary — of pricing and we’re going to continue to be consumer-led in our pricing decisions as we look forward to 2024,” Borden told Chicago-based NBC affiliate WMAQ in an interview.
CEO Chris Kempczinski also noted affordability as a key focus for McDonald’s in the coming months.
Kempczinski cited the leveling out of inflation rates at grocery stores being hard on fast food brands, as customers within income ranges of $45,000 or less were now opting for meals at home more often, per CNBC.
Still other high price-points have been cited by fans across the country, including an $18 Big Mac meal and a $7 Egg McMuffin.
For more related content, check out The U.S. Sun’s coverage of a former McDonald’s chef’s sneaky salary secrets about chain owners.
The U.S. Sun also has the story on the thousands of McDonald’s and Chipotle locations set to “raise prices” after a policy change.