McDonald’s U.S. president said that many of the price increases that are being reported are inaccurate
McDonald’s is pushing back on claims of extravagant price increases, calling many of the reports exaggerated and inaccurate.In a statement posted to the company’s website on May 29, McDonald’s U.S. President Joe Erlinger said that the reports that the chain has increased their prices beyond the current inflation rates are inaccurate. “For a brand that proudly serves nearly 90% of the U.S. population every year, we feel a responsibility to make sure the real facts are available,” Erlinger said in the news release.Erlinger specifically addressed a viral July 2023 tweet that featured a photo of McDonald’s menu’s combo meals offerings. In the image, a single Big Mac meal is listed for $17.59. A Quarter Pounder with cheese and bacon costs $18.99.
McDonald’s claims that the menu was for a franchise location in Connecticut, and asserted that the pricing was not a norm for the rest of the restaurant’s locations across the country.
“I can tell you that it frustrates and worries me, and many of our franchisees, when I hear about an $18 Big Mac meal being sold – even if it was at one location in the U.S. out of more than 13,700,” said Erlinger. “More worrying, though, is when people believe that this is the rule and not the exception, or when folks start to suggest that the prices of a Big Mac have risen 100% since 2019.”
He said that the average price of a Big Mac went from $4.39 in 2019 to $5.29 today, which is a 21% price increase within five years. Erlinger’s statement also included several price comparisons for other menu items, like the 10-piece Chicken Nugget meal, which saw a 28% price increase over five years.
“Our franchisees set menu prices for their restaurants, which account for the increased costs of running their businesses,” Erlinger said. “In doing so, they work hard to minimize the impact of price increases on our fans.”With rising living costs across the board, fast food fans are also feeling the price pinch from other chains as well. In a recent study conducted by LendingTree, nearly 80% of the more than 2,000 Americans surveyed said they now consider fast food a luxury.Three out of four people surveyed said they are eating fast food at least once a week, but 62% of respondents say they’re cutting back on fast food because of rising prices.In his statement, Erlinger also said he hopes customers “see the programs we’re launching nationally and locally as meaningful” and that they “remain laser-focused on value and affordability.”
