Many people believe it’s an astounding $18 after a post on X of McDonald’s menu prices at a rest stop in Connecticut went viral and made national headlines. (Narrator voice: It’s not.)

Now, almost a year after the post, a top McDonald’s executive wants to set the record straight. In a recent letter, Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald’s USA, said $18 for a Big Mac combo was the “exception” and not the norm across all 13,700 restaurants in the country.

The average price of a Big Mac in the US was $4.39 in 2019,” Erlinger said in his recent letter. “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%),” he added.

135 points

Until these assholes stop taking in record profits each year & their ceos get more money than some countries generate they can fuck off on saying wages are a problem. The working poor deserve every penny they can get.

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44 points

Agree. None of these CEOs have any groundbreaking ideas either. It’s all the same strategies for short term profits rather than longer sustainable growth.

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9 points

They’re paid in stock, so line must go up because MONEY.

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16 points

That’s just it, as a business owner, some years may be good, and some years may be bad.

So some years your profit should be less.

That doesn’t mean you’re going under. Less profit is still profit. That means everyone (including yourself) has been paid and you have money left over.

But because CEOs are paid mostly in stock, the profits have to rise every year, for no necessary reason besides “I like money”

And eventually that’ll break, and it’ll happen all at once.

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73 points

Did anyone else feel like this article just reads like an ad for their new value menu?

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28 points

Yes. There should probably be some sort of disclaimer about how much Rotten Rons paid for this incredibly in-depth reporting.

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64 points

They’re scared. Continue to avoid McDonald’s and they’ll keep lowering prices. We have the power because we have the money they want and can choose where to spend it.

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18 points

And as much chain fast food as possible. They’re all doing it to varying degrees.

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4 points

we have the money

With the way things are going for the lower and middle classes, that’s a bold statement…

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1 point

I see what you’re saying but the fact is any money we have is the money these types of companies are after, they’re not expecting rich people to keep McDonald’s afloat. They’re relying on commuters in a hurry, busy moms with whiny toddlers, people too tired after a day of work to cook for themselves etc. Voting with those dollars, however limited they may be, is the most powerful form of influence the lower class has.

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2 points

I’ve been doing my part for over 15 years now.

I’ve only had to go 2 or 3 times on roadtrips when they were literally the only option, always late at night.

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1 point

Excellent! I used to go there a lot until I got tired of overpaying

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61 points
*

I would admit I used to get McDonald’s quite a bit for lunch because it was pretty cheap. But, where I live a Big Mac meal is on average about $16 right now and I can get a burrito bowl from Chipotle with a drink for $13.
I’m not saying Chipotle is high quality food but I don’t think anyone’s going to argue it’s not better quality than McDonald’s, so why on earth would I pay more for McDonald’s?
They overreached on their price gouging and now they’re just trying to backpedal because they’re losing money.

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14 points

Started eating at Culver’s recently. Same price as McDonald’s but tastes like actual good quality hamburgers.

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2 points

Plus Culver’s always has ice cream

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4 points

Pretty sure Chipotle is owned by McDonalds.

Invest in real food. It is the foundation of your body.

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15 points
*

Pretty sure Chipotle is owned by McDonalds.

It is not. McDonald’s was an early investor but hasn’t been for a long long time (almost 20 years now), but the idea has stuck around.

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11 points

Chipotle is a publicly traded company.

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-1 points

I dunno… sugar is sugar, carbs are carbs, protein is protein, your body is not prejudiced as to where those components comes from

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9 points

Sugar is carbs

The 3 macros are carb fat protein.

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Carbs, fat, protein. Live for one year on just pepsi, canola oil, and chicken feet skin. Report back. Your body isnt prejudice.

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4 points

Chiptle is real food… Mcshit ain’t.

I don’t got to chiptle because customer service is shite tho

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61 points

consumers were willing to pay more as their paychecks rose and they were sitting on loads of savings accumulated during the pandemic.

Wait, who got more money dumping into their savings?

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-3 points

I got 2 stimulus checks for $1200. I didn’t even have to ask, they just showed up. Did you not get those?

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3 points

That’s not a lot in this context of savings, just about 2 months’ rent or less for a lot of people.

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2 points

Many people don’t have anywhere near 2 months rent in savings.

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-24 points

Um, everyone…1500 per kid and then like 3k on top of that then another 6500 check later

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10 points

Out of curiosity: How much do you make and what are your monthly expenses?

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8 points

Assuming you didn’t lose your job

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5 points

No kids here… Didn’t see a penny. But I’m happy those that needed it got it. 😊

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