McDonald’s announced Thursday the launch of its $5 Meal Deal, in addition to more ways customers can save this summer.

The $5 Meal Deal, available starting June 25, features a McDouble or McChicken, small fries, four-piece Chicken McNuggets, and a small drink. The company said the offer will be on menus for a limited time at participating restaurants. Bloomberg previously reported that it would run for four weeks.

“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 statement. “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.”

Additionally, McDonald’s is offering a free medium fry with any $1 purchase via the mobile app every Friday through the rest of 2024. On National French Fry Day (July 12), customers can get free fries of any size.

With inflation pressuring lower-income consumers, McDonald’s felt flat to declining Q1 industry traffic in the U.S. The burger giant first hinted that a national value platform was coming during its Q1 earnings call at the end of April. CEO Chris Kempczinski said the chain was looking for a more centralized offer instead of several localized deals.

“I think, again, there’s lots of great value that we have out there at a local level, but it’s how do we come together in the U.S. around a stronger national value platform that can compete?” told investors on April 30. “How long that takes, I think, is going to be up to individual conversations that happen in the market, but it’s clear that once you have that in place, the business could start to respond pretty quickly.”

Although McDonald’s has emphasized its desire for a national value deal, the brand highlighted local deals from franchisees in a recent news release. Some examples include BOGO for $1 breakfast sandwiches in Memphis, a mix and match McChicken and McDouble deal for $3.99 in Western New York or a Double Cheeseburger and small fries for $3.50 in Columbus, Ohio. More than 90 percent of U.S. operators are offering meal bundles for $4 or less.

“Affordable prices and creating memorable moments are what McDonald’s is all about,” John Palmaccio, franchisee and chair of Operator’s National Advertising Fund, said in a statement. “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.”

The $5 Meal Deal comes not too long after McDonald’s clarified the rise of its menu prices after several news organizations reported significant spikes over the years. The chain debunked certain false narratives (i.e. the Big Mac Meal has not increased 104 percent since 2019; in reality, the average price in 2019 was $7.29 and the average price in 2024 is $9.29, which is a 27 percent increase).

McDonald’s isn’t the only one rolling out value offers. On June 10, Burger King launched its $5 Your Way Meal (Choice of a Whopper Jr., Chicken Jr., or Bacon Cheeseburger, four-piece Chicken Nuggets, fries, and drink). The deal will last through the rest of the summer. The brand is also testing two other value deals that could come in the latter half of 2024. In May, Wendy’s announced a $3 English Muffin deal at breakfast; guests can get a small Seasoned Potatoes and their choice of either a Bacon, Egg & Cheese English Muffin or a Sausage, Egg & Cheese English Muffin. That’s in addition to the chain’s $5 Biggie Bag during lunch and dinner dayparts.

Burgers, Fast Food, Food, Franchising, Marketing & Promotions, Menu Innovations, Story, McDonald's