Most fast-food chains offer some version of a deal where you get multiple entrees along with a drink.
Wendy's has its 4-for-$4 deal, which comes with a burger, four piece chicken nuggets, fries, and a soda. That chain also offers its $5 Biggie Bag, which is essentially the same offer, but with a choice of sandwiches.
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Restaurant Brands International's (QSR) -) Burger King has offered similar deals over the past few years, but it has not done as good a job at naming them as its rival has. The chain has offered 2-for-$5 and 2-for-$6 deals, giving customers two sandwiches at the respective price points but with no sides or drinks.
Value has been a key factor in fast food, especially since rising grocery prices have pushed the overall cost of food higher for Americans.
McDonald's (MCD) -) has largely stayed out of the bundle-deal game. The chain does offer its $1, $2, $3 menu, and its "As Featured In Meal" promotion offers an entree, fries, and a drink, but the fast-food leader has stayed out of the two-entree-deal game.
Now, McDonald's has decided not only to jump into that space but to do it in a unique way.
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McDonald's wants you to share
While Wendy's (WEN) -) and Burger King have offered low-price-point bundled deals, their offers have always implicitly been for one person.
In theory, Burger King's deals could be paired with a couple of sides of fries and sodas and shared. People might also split a $5 Biggie Bag, if you add a second soda, but both chains clearly see their value offers as being solo affairs.
McDonald's, at least in select markets, has been testing a new offer that's designed to be shared.
"McDonald’s offers a new shareable meal deal with the launch of the new $8 2 Double Cheeseburgers and Basket of Fries bundle at select locations in Texas and Pennsylvania," Fast Food Post reported. "The deal is pretty straightforward. For $8, you get two Double Cheeseburgers along with a Basket of Fries."
The big change here is that McDonald's has never offered shareable fries before. For this deal, the fries are "basically two medium-sized world-famous fries served in a branded, boat-shaped box that’s perfect for sharing," the website reported.
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Value remains key to McDonald's
While McDonald's has not pursued value as aggressively as its chief rivals have, it has remained a priority for the chain. During the chain's second-quarter-earnings call, Chief Financial Officer Ian Borden addressed the need to keep prices low.
"A challenging macro environment including rising interest rates and elevated costs continues to create volatile consumer confidence levels and put pressure on consumer spending," he said.
"Providing customers with an affordable option has always been core to McDonald's. But in these challenging times, it is even more important for us to remain agile, proactively meeting the needs of our customers,"
The CFO spoke fairly passionately about the company's global efforts to keep prices down.
"Maintaining our leadership position in value is crucial to future success, and McDonald's holds the No. 1 position in good value for money and affordability across most of our major markets," he added.
"This shows that even in the most challenging of environments, our customers know that they can rely on McDonald's to provide an affordable destination for the food that they love."
Here’s why we just bought shares in this fast-food chain! (It’s not what you think.)
