If you often walk into a McDonald’s and get hit with a wave of nostalgia over the prices of the franchise’s dollar menu of years gone, then you’re not alone.
TikToker @magicmansteve1 posted a viral clip that’s accrued over 288,000 views highlighting that there isn’t a single menu item on the “Dollar Menu” that actually costs a dollar at a McDonald’s location he recently visited.
@magicmansteve1 #mcdonalds #dollarmenu #wtf #fyp #waitwhat #angrycustomer #lol ♬ BTS x McD Ba Da Ba Ba Ba – McDonald’s
“Can anybody tell me on the dollar menu item, which item’s a dollar?” he says as he zooms in on the McDonald’s location’s dollar menu which displays the following items and their correlating prices:
- 4 pc. Chicken McNuggets – $2.59
- Cheeseburger: $2.79
- Small fries: $2.79
- McChicken: $2.89
- McDouble: $3.49
In December 2008, McDonald’s upped the price of its McDouble cheeseburger to $1.19 from its previous $1 cost. The dollar menu used to carry a variety of items for just a buck, which also included its McChicken sandwich.
The United States has experienced its worst inflation in the past 40 years recently, which has affected a variety of different industries, along with the cost of consumer goods and services. The USDA has stated that the cost of food, both at supermarkets and restaurants (classified as food away from home) is projected to go up even more as 2023 progresses.
A slew of consumers has posted their dissatisfaction with the current state of fast food pricing. Many have stated that while eating from a popular franchise was once considered affordable, it has now become a prohibitively expensive proposition.
This has sparked a litany of tips and tutorials from customers who’ve made budget-oriented videos on the best ways to save money on foodstuffs, which includes shopping at discount retailers like Dollar Tree and Dollar General as a means of feeding their families.
TikTokers who saw the clip were shocked at the prices @magicmansteve1 posted at the Mickey D’s location. One viewer wrote, “$2.59 for 4 nuggets? I eat 4 nuggets while I wonder if I want to eat something.”
Someone else remarked, “Damm I haven’t been inside a McDonald’s in like 3 years and this is what happens.”
While another simply said, “Yep. I fired McDonald’s,” which was a sentiment echoed by another user on the platform who wrote, “McDonald prices getting crazy.”
One TikToker pointed out that someone could purchase a ton of potatoes for the same price as a small fries from the popular burger chain.
“You can buy 5lbs of potato’s for the cost of a small fry!” they wrote.
Others seemed to long for the days of the actual Dollar Menu, with one writing, “I’m old enough to remember double cheeseburger for $1.”
“I just can’t understand how a McDouble is selling for the same price as a Culver’s butter burger,” another added.
The Daily Dot has reached out to McDonald’s and @magicmansteve1 via email.
