The Happy Meal was once one of McDonald’s (MCD) signature dishes, alongside the McNuggets and, of course, the Big Mac (though let’s show some love to the Shamrock Shake as well).
The item, which traditionally consists of a hamburger or McNuggets, a small order of fries, maybe some cookies, a toy (often tied to a larger advertising campaign with an upcoming film) and a drink, was first introduced in 1979 in order to make parents feel comfortable bringing their children to McDonald’s.
Eventually, activists began pushing for McDonald’s to start offering healthier alternatives for kids, and the toys were largely phased out in order to help McDonald’s become a more environmentally sustainable company.
In 2018, McDonald’s quietly took the Happy Meal off of its Value Menu, meaning it was no longer available for $3 or less, which helped make it an attractive option for budget-conscious parents with multiple children. McDonald’s states that the reason for the removal was to give the company more flexibility with what it offered on the Value Menu, and that some locations would continue to offer them at a higher price point.
McDonald’s didn’t make a big deal out of largely discontinuing the Happy Meal, so a lot of parents didn’t know it was no longer available. And one parent, that just so happens to be a hit producer and social media powerhouse, recently took to Instagram to express his frustration and disappointment with the company.
DJ Khaled Is Sad About Happy Meals
DJ Khaled, the Miami-based author, producer, and DJ born Khaled Mohammed Khaled, is one of the biggest hitmakers in hip-hop, having lodged the singles "I'm the One" and "Wild Thoughts," onto the number one and number two positions on the Billboard Hot 100.
Among other things, DJ Khaled is a master of brand consistency. One of his catchphrases is “we’re the best,” and he doesn’t miss an opportunity to remind listeners that he and his crew are the, well, you can guess. He’s also made being a loving, supportive dad a big part of his brand, naming his 2019 album “Father of Asadh” after his son.
Over the weekend, Khaled explained in an Instagram (MVRS) post that he was planning on having a father-son bonding day, replete with a Happy Meal.
Unfortunately, Khaled had not followed the behind-the-scenes policy changes of the fast food industry very closely, as he was sad to discover the Happy Meal would not be forthcoming.
In an Instagram post, Khaled noted that “We went to every McDonald's; they have no Happy Meals nowhere,” he said. “I don’t know why McDonald's don’t have Happy Meals.”
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Khaled explained that he went to five different McDonald’s locations, only to be denied a Happy Meal every time.
Persistence Pays Off For Khaled
But eventually, Khaled got what he was looking for after the fifth try, he explained in a follow-up post while also pleading with McDonald’s to bring the item back.
“Mcdonalds please we need more happy meals; the kids want happy meals,” DJ Khaled wrote in the caption. “Bless up and love @mcdonalds just want y’all to know [there's] no happy meals no where but the great people at this @mcdonalds got one for my son @asahdkhaled thank u.”
But just to show there’s no hard feelings, he posted one final clip of him blessing the McDonald’s cashier with his other famous catchphrase: “another one.” (And hey, at least he didn’t have to tell his son “and now we have to go to another one of McDonald’s franchise locations.")
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