McDonald’s Is Betting on Cheaper Meals to Win Back Customers

McDonald’s built much of its appeal on a simple promise: familiar food, served quickly, at a price that made stopping almost effortless. That calculation has become harder for customers watching every dollar. The company is now trying to restore the sense of affordability that helped make it a fast-food giant, even as its latest results show that simply putting more deals on the menu may not be enough.

U.S. same-store sales rose just 0.8% in McDonald’s second quarter, a significant slowdown from the 2.5% increase recorded a year earlier. Overall U.S. customer traffic declined, while global same-store sales increased 1.3%. CEO Chris Kempczinski acknowledged that McDonald’s had previously drifted off course on value, with base-menu prices running above competitors in many markets. The company has since worked to bring prices closer to — or below — rivals on products ranging from burgers to beverages.

The pressure is particularly acute among lower-income consumers, whose discretionary spending has been squeezed by higher living costs. McDonald’s has also pointed to expensive gasoline and consumer anxiety surrounding the U.S. conflict with Iran as factors weighing on spending. But the challenge for the chain is increasingly about what customers believe a McDonald’s meal should cost, and whether the food still feels worth the price.

More Deals Did Not Automatically Mean More Value

McDonald’s answer has been to put affordability back at the center of its menu. In April, the company introduced a simplified McValue lineup featuring 10 products priced at $3 or less. That followed earlier value initiatives, including bundled meal deals and promotions intended to give budget-conscious customers a reason to return.

Yet executives conceded that the collection of offers became part of the problem. McDonald’s said too many overlapping value promotions muddled its message, while Chief Financial Officer Ian Borden said a reduction in digital offers also hurt purchasing. Without those offers, some customers bought less or skipped McDonald’s altogether. The company plans to increase nationwide digital deals and make offers more personalized for its most loyal app users.

The contrast with the previous year is telling. In the second quarter of 2025, McDonald’s reported nearly 4% same-store sales growth globally, helped by its McValue strategy and a hugely successful promotion tied to A Minecraft Movie. At the time, Kempczinski was already warning about combo meals priced above $10 and their effect on perceptions of affordability. A year later, the task has shifted from proving that promotions can draw attention to making value a dependable part of the everyday McDonald’s experience.

Customers Say Price Is Only Part of the Frustration

Online reactions show how difficult that repair job could be. In a discussion among McDonald’s customers on Reddit, one commenter responded to news of the company’s cheaper-food strategy with a pointed question: “Is the cheaper food in the room with us?” Another argued that even a sudden drop in gasoline prices would not necessarily bring customers back because the food had become too expensive relative to its quality.

Other commenters described McDonald’s as having lost its old role as an inexpensive default when running errands or looking for a quick meal. Some compared current fast-food prices with sit-down or local burger restaurants, arguing that a small additional expense could buy what they considered a better experience. Complaints also extended beyond prices to restaurant interiors, customer service, menu changes and the removal of amenities such as self-service drinks at some locations.

Those anecdotes do not represent McDonald’s entire customer base, but they illustrate the perception problem facing the company. NBC News reported that sit-down chains including Chili’s, Outback Steakhouse and The Cheesecake Factory have been gaining ground while traditional fast-food traffic struggles. When consumers can compare a fast-food bill with the price of a casual restaurant meal, the old dividing line between convenience and dining out becomes much less obvious.

A New U.S. Boss Inherits the Turnaround

McDonald’s is pairing its pricing push with a leadership change. The company named longtime employee Skye Anderson president of McDonald’s USA, succeeding Joe Erlinger, who will remain as an adviser through early next year. The transition comes as executives acknowledge problems with restaurant execution, marketing and the way various promotions were presented to customers.

Kempczinski has framed the problem as one of execution rather than fundamental strategy. “We don’t have a strategy problem,” he told investors. “We simply didn’t execute at the level we needed to in the second quarter.” Despite sluggish U.S. sales growth, McDonald’s remains highly profitable: second-quarter net income reached $2.36 billion, up from $2.25 billion a year earlier, while revenue increased to $7.1 billion from $6.84 billion. Adjusted earnings of $3.38 per share exceeded analysts’ expectations.

That financial strength gives McDonald’s room to refine its approach, but the larger test is happening at restaurant counters, drive-thrus and ordering screens. Cheaper items can help persuade customers to reconsider the chain, and more targeted digital offers may improve the equation further. Winning back regular visits, however, requires McDonald’s to make value feel straightforward again — not as a temporary promotion customers must hunt for, but as a reason to choose the Golden Arches in the first place.