Many McDonald’s units in the United States will be extending the $5 Meal Deal — intended originally for late June and July — into August, according to news reports.
The Chicago-based quick-service chain kicked off the $5 Meal Deal on June 25, offering a choice of a McDouble burger or McChicken sandwich, small fries, a four-piece Chicken McNuggets and a small soft drink
Since its launch in June, the limited time offer is “resonating with our millions of customers,” according to an internal McDonald’s memo obtained by CNN. Emails to the company were not returned by press time.
“As a result, 93% of U.S. locations will keep the deal on menus through August,” CNN reported.
An outside analytics firms indicated the offer had its intended impact.
“McDonald’s $5 Meal Deal appears to be having a positive impact on visitation trends,” R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research at Placer.ai, said earlier in July.
“The company was lapping last year’s Grimace Shake promotion during the last week of June, but Placer data indicates strong visit trends on a year-over-year basis as we moved past that promotion in the first week in July,” he said. “If we compare visit trends to 2022 to exclude the impact of last year’s Grimace Shake, we also see strong acceleration the past two weeks, as well as outperformance compared to the rest of the QSR sector."
McDonald’s isn’t the only quick-service operator embracing value as consumers express uncertainty in the economy. The Wendy’s Co. announced customers would get a free small Frosty with the purchase of a $5 Biggie Bag exclusively in the app. Burger King, a division of Toronto-based Restaurant Brands International Inc., invested millions to drive awareness of its $5 Duos, $5 Your Way meals, and $2.99 wraps. San Diego, Calif.-based Jack in the Box Inc. highlighted a promotion of its Munchies Menu.
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