A new batch of budget-friendly value meals is hitting McDonald’s menu.
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batch → hit → menu
McDonald’s is introducing low-cost value meals across the U.S. after customer traffic declined and third-quarter sales were low, CEO Chris Kempczinski said Wednesday.
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Kempczinski → introduce → U.S.
The fast-food chain launched an eight-week pilot program in 1,900 locations to test mix-and-match and fixed-price bundles.
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chain → launch → bundles
Options include a McChicken sandwich and small fries for $3.50, aimed at drawing budget-conscious diners back in.
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Options → include → diners
The mix-and-match lineup will feature choices like the McDouble, McChicken, 6-piece chicken nuggets, and fries, priced between $3.50 and $4.00 depending on the market.
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lineup → mix → market
During an earnings call with Wall Street analysts, Kempczinski acknowledged the chain fell short of expectations, pointing to a failure to serve lower-income consumers seeking budget options.
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chain → acknowledge → options
U.S. comparable sales grew just 0.2% from July to September, down from 2.4% during the same period last year.
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sales → grow → period
Total U.S. store traffic dropped 4.6% year-over-year, according to Placer.ai data.
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traffic → drop → data
“We didn’t land like we needed to,” Kempczinski told investors regarding second-quarter performance.
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Kempczinski → land → performance
“That’s what we’re in the midst of getting resolved right now through testing.”
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we → ’ → testing
Franchisees aren’t waiting for test results.
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Franchisees → wait → results
Roughly 4,000 operators have already introduced local meal deals to drive traffic.
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operators → introduce → traffic
Following trials, McDonald’s plans a nationwide rollout of the new value menu in early 2027, once they see which bundles are most popular
“
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bundles → follow → 2027
Customers should see a clear and compelling value proposition every time they consider McDonald’s — whether looking for an affordable individual item, a complete meal, or a digital app offer,” Kempczinski added.
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Kempczinski → see → item
In June 2024, McDonald’s introduced a $5 Meal Deal.
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McDonald → introduce → Deal
The following year, it debuted its McValue menu and Extra Value Meals, offering a 15% discount on bundled items compared to buying them individually.
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it → debut → them
This April, the chain updated the McValue menu with 10 items under $3.
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chain → update → 3
However, Kempczinski noted that only 60% of U.S. locations carried the updated menu.
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% → note → menu
“Where I am at 10 dollars for a Big Mac meal is unacceptable and I will not do it,” one commenter wrote online.
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commenter → do → it
“I am not spending more than I would at a sit down restaurant for a crap ‘value’ meal that is not a value.”
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that → spend → meal
McDonald’s announced its new turnaround strategy called “NEXT” in June, including modernizing restaurants and investing more in employee training.
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McDonald → announce → training
Kempczinski also said the company aims to expand the use of Archie, an AI assistant for drive-thru ordering, across the majority of US restaurants by the end of 2027.
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company → say → 2027
McDonald’s U.S. menu prices rose an average of 40% between 2019 and 2024.
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prices → rise → 2019
In May 2026, the chain drew criticism after updating its rewards program to increase the points required for free items.
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chain → draw → items
Participation varies by franchise owner and availability depends on whether your local store is part of the test market or chose to launch an independent promotion.
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store → vary → promotion
McDonald’s has not released which stores are participating in the eight-week bundle rollout.
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stores → release → rollout
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