Get a load of this rube that thinks prices will ever be lower.

Article:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/202 ... cing-menu/

This will be a huge failure as the demographic eating Wendy's garbage fast food is not the same as people hailing Uber during rush hour or concerts which cause surge pricing. The willingness of customers to pay more for food that doesn't taste good at certain times while not other times seems like a losing endeavor.

Why is this different than regular restaurants offering early bird specials or late night menus?

Why is this different than regular restaurants offering early bird specials or late night menus?

Because, to use a very online term, sir, this is a Wendy's. It should be cheap. Besides, you don't get an early bird special from Wendy's, you get it from the Greek joint run by a guy whose name is 24 letters long but just goes by "Nick."

Fast food chains were built on reliability and consistency, and price is a part of that. A burger, fries, and a Coke at McDonald's in 1994 would be $2.99 wherever you went, whenever you went. The manager wasn't able to crane his head out the window, see a long line at the drive-thru, and update the digital menu board to make it $4.99. Could they have done that, technology permitting, in 1994? Possibly, but I think that even a corporation as evil as McDonald's knew then that their plan for long-term growth involved not pissing everybody off.

My question to you: how much contempt do you have for consumers?

Why is this different than regular restaurants offering early bird specials or late night menus?

Because, to use a very online term, sir, this is a Wendy's. It should be cheap. Besides, you don't get an early bird special from Wendy's, you get it from the Greek joint run by a guy whose name is 24 letters long but just goes by "Nick."

Fast food chains were built on reliability and consistency, and price is a part of that. A burger, fries, and a Coke at McDonald's in 1994 would be $2.99 wherever you went, whenever you went. The manager wasn't able to crane his head out the window, see a long line at the drive-thru, and update the digital menu board to make it $4.99. Could they have done that, technology permitting, in 1994? Possibly, but I think that even a corporation as evil as McDonald's knew then that their plan for long-term growth involved not pissing everybody off.

My question to you: how much contempt do you have for consumers?

I'm not force-feeding myself a steak at 4:30 to save a couple of bucks, I'll tell you that!

I'm not force-feeding myself a steak at 4:30 to save a couple of bucks, I'll tell you that!

I'm not force-feeding myself a steak at 4:30 to save a couple of bucks, I'll tell you that!

The problem is that "surge pricing" is simply a different spin on "price gouging". People are fine with "discounts" at certain times of the day. Taco Bell has had discounts at certain hours of the day already.

But the idea that you'll drive up to the video board to shout your food order into and see that chicken nuggets are currently $84 for 10 because the last 10 people also ordered chicken nuggets is not going to go over well.

Part of me does think that the concept of fast food is going to die out soon. They can no longer seem to make money selling food cheaply.

This was all a marketing plan by Wendy's.

Announce surge. Get tons of fucking attention with several media outlets saying Wendys. Then say we're not doing it. Genius. Guarantee you sales spike over the next few days.

Literally tens of millions of dollars of free advertisement.

now announce new crispier fries.

what if they started offering cajun rice

Part of me does think that the concept of fast food is going to die out soon. They can no longer seem to make money selling food cheaply.

the ebb and flow has been going on for 100 years. its all part of the design. 5 years from now we will read articles about how can mcdonalds afford to have a $5 menu?!?!?! it's so cheap!!!!

On Monday, as the burger chain reported weaker-than-expected sales at its US stores, CEO Chris Kempczinski addressed McDonald’s “affordability” problem, and indicated the chain would cut prices on some menu items.

“Eating at home has become more affordable,” Kempczinski said.

He’s right: Grocery prices are still high, but they rose just 1.3% overall in 2023, while dining out surged 5.2%, according to the latest Consumer Price Index report.

Prices are no longer soaring, but many Americans still feel the economy is weak.

“We actually saw that cohort” — customers making $45,000 or less — “decrease in the most recent quarter,” he added.

Kempczinski didn’t offer details on the timing or size of any price cuts. But his focus on affordability marked a shift from just a few months ago, when he boasted that US menu prices, which went up as much as 10% in 2023 alone, weren’t deterring sales.

At the core of those widely shared sticker-shock moments is a genuine angst over the cost of basic needs like food — especially food that’s meant to be affordable.

it may be time to bring back the Dollar Menu. Kempczinski said McDonald’s would double down on its “D123” strategy, which prices some items between $1 and $3.

what if they started offering cajun rice