OAK BROOK Ill. McDonald's is evaluating new prices and reformulations for the Dollar Menu-anchoring Double Cheeseburger because of beef inflation while testing such $1-each alternatives as a Double Hamburger with only one slice of cheese and a cheeseless Double Hamburger.
Another test, "in a limited number of U.S. restaurants," is of the best-selling Double Cheeseburger for more than the $1 signature price point.
"With increasing food and paper costs, this test is to determine price elasticity to ensure we are providing the best possible value for our restaurants and our customers," McDonald's spokesman William Whitman said.
Some franchisees had previously sold the Double Cheeseburger at even higher prices, complaining that it has become unprofitable to sell it for $1.
The new $1-burger reformulations and tests of the Double Cheeseburger at prices of $1.09 to $1.19 were reported Monday in The Wall Street Journal.