McDonald’s Introduces $5 Meal Deal with Free Fries Friday

McDonald’s Hopes $5 Meals Will Bring Customers Back Amid High Prices

McDonald's $5 Meal Deal | ©Image Credit: McDonald's
McDonald's $5 Meal Deal | ©Image Credit: McDonald's

Feeling the pinch of inflation? McDonald’s is here to help! In a bid to win back customers after rising menu prices, the fast-food giant is rolling out a summer value campaign including a brand new $5 Meal Deal and a program called Free Fries Friday. Keep reading to find out the details of this value-packed promotion so you can indulge in your favorite McDonald’s menu items without breaking the bank.

McDonald’s $5 Meal Deal

McDonald’s highly anticipated $5 Meal Deal finally has a start date. First revealed by The Wall Street Journal on May 15, 2024, the $5 Meal Deal will be available at participating McDonald’s restaurants nationwide starting June 25, 2024, for a limited time. The meal features your choice of a McDouble or McChicken sandwich, small fries, four-piece Chicken McNuggets, and a small soft drink all for just $5.

“We heard our fans loud and clear – they’re looking for even more great value from us, and this summer that’s exactly what they’ll get,” Joe Erlinger, President of McDonald’s USA, said in a press release. “Value has always been part of our DNA. We’re focused on living up to that legacy and offering delicious, affordable options customers can enjoy any time they walk through our doors, go through our drive-thru, or place an order through our app.”

McDonald's $5 Meal Deal

McDonald’s $5 Meal Deal is part of the restaurant’s response to the perception that its offerings have become too expensive. In a rare open letter in May 2024, Joe Erlinger said the claim that McDonald’s has hiked its prices “significantly beyond inflationary rates” is “inaccurate.”

“[The] prices for many of our menu items have risen less than the rate of inflation — and remain well within the range of other quick service restaurants,” Erlinger asserted. “[For instance], the average price of a Big Mac in the US was $4.39 in 2019. Despite a global pandemic and historic rises in supply chain costs, wages, and other inflationary pressures in the years that followed, the average cost is now $5.29. That’s an increase of 21% (not 100%).”

However, Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData, recently told Axios that even though “McDonald’s $5 meal is sensible”, the fact that it will only be offered for a limited time “will not resolve perceptions that the chain has become very expensive.”

In fact, some McDonald’s patrons have already slammed the chain’s $5 Meal Deal, describing it “skimpy” as they prefer a more supersized deal that will run for a longer time frame.

In addition, some of the company’s franchisees have expressed their worries that the markdowns brought by the $5 Meal Deal would not yield enough profits to sustain the businesses long-term.

“There simply is not enough profit to discount 30% for this model to be sustainable,” the National Owners Association wrote in a letter in May 2024. “It necessitates a financial contribution by McDonald’s.”

While it’s unclear whether McDonald’s eventually committed to a financial contribution to its franchisees, the chain is surprisingly running other promotions alongside the $5 Meal Deal.

McDonald’s Free Fries Friday

McDonald's Free Fries Friday

Launching on June 21, 2024, McDonald’s Free Fries Friday allows customers to snag a free medium fry with any $1 minimum purchase exclusively in the McDonald’s App, through the end of 2024.

And in honor of National French Fry Day this year, fans of the chain can get free fries of any size, no purchase necessary, through the McDonald’s App on Saturday, July 13.

McDonald’s Local Deals

In addition to the $5 Meal Deal and Free Fries Friday, select McDonald’s outlets in specific cities are running exclusive promotions to give customers more savings. These include the Buy One Get One for $1 breakfast sandwiches in Memphis, Tennessee, the Double Cheeseburger and small fries pairing for $3.50 in Columbus, Ohio, and the mix and match McChicken and McDouble deal for $3.99 in Western New York just to name a few.

“Affordable prices and creating memorable moments are what McDonald’s is all about,” said John Palmaccio, McDonald’s Owner/Operator and Operator’s National Advertising (OPNAD) Fund Chair. “As small business owners, it’s our responsibility to deliver great value to our local communities when they need it most. The $5 Meal Deal is the perfect complement to the everyday local deals customers can find in-store and on the app, like the 25 percent off any purchase of $10 or more deal that I’m offering at my restaurants in Savannah, Georgia.”

Value Meal Offerings from Rival Restaurants

Since the news of McDonald’s $5 Meal Deal first broke, rival restaurant chains have added similar value meals to their menus:

Burger King: The chain has a $5 Your Way Meal where you can choose an entree (Whopper Jr., Chicken Jr., or Bacon Cheeseburger), four chicken nuggets, fries, and a drink.

Wendy’s: Wendy’s recently launched a $3 breakfast menu featuring an English muffin sandwich.

Taco Bell: Taco Bell’s Cravings Menu offers several items under $2, including a veggie burrito and a spicy potato taco. Though the chain doesn’t have a set $5 meal deal, budget-minded customers can build a cheap meal from these options.

Starbucks: The coffeehouse chain recently introduced the Pairings Menu, where customers can combine a coffee/tea with a breakfast sandwich or croissant for a discounted price, starting at $5.

Sources: The Wall Street Journal, McDonald’s, Axios, The New York Post, CNBC