McDonald’s launches $5 menu as consumers consume less fast food

McDonald’s will begin selling its new $5 menu on Tuesday.

McDonald’s announced the discount menu after reporting a decline in customer traffic at its restaurants. As consumers shy away from rising menu prices at fast-food chains, McDonald’s, Burger King and others are competing to release cheaper meal deals during the summer.

The meal includes either a McDouble or a McChicken sandwich. It also includes 4 chicken nuggets, a small portion of French fries and a small soft drink.

While the nationwide deal only lasts 30 days, we spoke to local McDonald’s owners who say they plan to keep it in place through September.

“My fellow owner/operators and I voted to extend this through Sept. 10,” said Bob Wagner, McDonald’s franchisee in Tulsa. “This should help people with back-to-school and end-of-summer expenses. We can keep this up through Sept. 10 and then we’ll take another look at it and see if we can continue it.”

The $5 meal will be available at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday morning when McDonald’s begins lunch sales.

The move is intended to counteract the rise in menu prices at McDonald’s in recent years. The average price of a Big Mac, for example, is currently $5.29, according to the company, up 21% from 2019’s $4.39. The average price of a Quarter Pounder with cheese is $5.39, up 20% from 2019’s $4.49. Fast-food chains blame rising labor and food costs as the main reasons for their decision to raise prices.

A 2024 survey by consulting firm Revenue Management Solutions found that about 25% of people earning less than $50,000 are cutting back on their fast food consumption, pointing to cost as a concern. A recent survey by LendingTree found that 78% of consumers now view fast food as a luxury item that is becoming expensive.

Wendy’s and Burger King have also launched inexpensive menus to increase customer frequency in their restaurants.