While fast-food chains may not be known as gourmet meal destinations, they have long held an appeal for consumers looking for a quick bite at an affordable price. But one of the most popular fast-food chains, McDonald’s, seems to be losing its reputation as a budget-friendly eatery. More and more customers have been complaining about the elevated prices on certain items, including a couple of popular side dishes and a celebratory new meal that just launched this week.
TikToker @hellomatthewlong set off a string of complaints about the company’s prices late last month in a video detailing a McDonald’s breakfast run with his son. In the video, which has racked up more than 100,000 views, the creator highlighted an in-app deal that would have gotten him a $2 McDonald’s breakfast sandwich. He then pointed out that a single McDonald’s Hash Brown was even more expensive than the sandwich at $2.29.
“$2.29 for a McDonald’s Hash Brown y’all? That is insane,” he said.
The TikToker also criticized prices for McDonald’s fries, a large order of which was priced at $4 at his restaurant.
“Who can afford this?” he asked.
His complaints inspired fellow TikToker to voice their own frustration with McDonald’s prices in the comments section.
“I stopped going there when they start jacking the prices….I’m done with McDonalds!” one user said.
“Out of control,” another said. Some even suggested just going to a local restaurant instead to get better quality food for the same price or potentially even less.
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McDonald’s is also coming under fire for its new Grimace Birthday Meal which launched yesterday in honor of the beloved purple mascot. The meal features a berry-flavored purple shake and a choice of a Big Mac or 10-piece Chicken McNuggets and fries. A customer called out McDonald’s on Reddit while sharing a picture of a Grimace meal priced at nearly $18. Customers were not happy about the thought of paying nearly $20 for a McDonald’s meal. Plus, they noted they couldn’t buy the shake without buying the entire meal, at least not when ordering in the app or on the website.
“This is really an insane price point,” wrote one customer who said the meal was even more than $18 near them.
“Prices are so high for no reason,” another said.
Of course, prices for the Grimace meal and side dishes highlighted in the viral TikTok can vary across the country. Some customers may find perfectly affordable McDonald’s items at their local restaurants. However, the number of McDonald’s customers who did complain about elevated prices indicates that it’s more than an isolated issue.
McDonald’s has gotten negative attention for its prices in recent months. In April, another TikTok creator went viral for lambasting astounding prices for McDonald’s combo meals at a location in Connecticut. A Big Mac combo, for example, was listed for $16.89, while a McCrispy chicken sandwich combo was listed for $16.69. Customers have also complained about McDonald’s “outrageously overpriced” fries before. McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski admitted during an April earning call that guests were adding fewer items to their orders, leaving out extras like fries.
McDonald’s did not immediately respond to our queries asking for comment on these price complaints.
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Zoe Strozewski
Zoe Strozewski is a News Writer for Eat This, Not That! A Chicago native who now lives in New Jersey, she graduated from Kean University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Read more about Zoe
