McDonald’s has created a valuable message for the chain as consumers begin to view fast food as an indulgence rather than a cheap meal option.
“Fast food meals with prices in the single digits may soon be a thing of the past, especially in the largest U.S. metros, where prices have put them out of reach for many Americans. The average major fast food meal costs $11.56 in the largest metros, with San Francisco leading the pack at $13.88,” according to the Lending Tree report.
This is too much for most Americans.
“Seventy-eight percent of Americans now view fast food as a ‘luxury,’ highlighting the financial stress that even low-cost food now places on everyday consumers, especially in high-cost urban areas,” the same report shows.
That’s a perception McDonald’s has pushed back against.
“As we look to 2026, success will again depend on going 3 for 3, compelling value that gets customers in the door, success in creating meaningful moments for our fans and menu innovation that delivers great-tasting food to our customers. We believe this disciplined focus will enable McDonald’s to excel in any environment.” during the chain’s fourth quarter earnings call.
While the chain has added lower-priced meals, $2.99 snack wraps, and other specials through its app, it has also returned to two areas where it took the price away from customers.
While some fast-food chains have strict limits on how much dipping sauce comes with each order of chicken nuggets or chicken strips, McDonald’s generally has a more flexible policy.
Some places have changed.
“Customers say the fast food giant is becoming ‘stingy’ – with a growing number of locations clamping down on how many packet dinners they can get for free. At one franchise, a ‘sauce policy’ posted in the drive-thru window warns that an order of six McNuggets now comes in one dip,” reported the Daily Mail.
That’s not official corporate policy, but it’s what shoppers are doing. I’ve seen this in practice when picking up a McNuggets meal for my son, where a 10-piece meal comes with only two sauce packets.
The Daily Mail reached out to McDonald’s corporate, which offered no comment.
“Meanwhile, the price of additional dipping sauces varies by location. In New York City, at the Madison Square Garden location, it’s 22 cents, and at JFK Airport, 30 cents. In Belleville, New Jersey, expect to pay a whopping 39 cents,” the website shared.
While limiting sauce packets may be a franchisee-level choice, McDonald’s has decided to get rid of self-serve soda nationally.
The beverage station, however, will receive a long goodbye, according to CBS News.
“McDonald’s will finally eliminate self-service soft drink stations in its restaurants, the company says, though you have nine more years to squirt your own Sprite: They could be out until 2032,” reported Today.com.
The chain says the change is aimed at creating a consistent experience for McDonald’s workers and their customers across all ordering points — meaning whether you order your Big Mac meal via McDonald’s Delivery, app, kiosk, drive-thru or in-restaurant, you’ll get your grub the same way.
“In a pure example of corporate doublespeak, the line is to ditch the self-service option. customers feature,” TheStreet shared in a previous article.
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Self-serve drinks were seen as a way to cut labor costs. Now, as chains want to squeeze every bit of margin out of their customers, franchise owners prefer to serve customers to reduce waste and take in revenue from occasional pay-for refills.
And while McDonald’s won’t complete the transition until 2032, many locations have already eliminated self-serve beverage stations.
McDonald’s has been hit by rising beef costs. Shutterstock
As McDonald’s continues to emphasize its value message, it has also increased its focus on operational efficiency in restaurants.
The chain encourages digital ordering through its app and in-store kiosks, reducing reliance on front-counter service at many locations. The change is part of a broader effort to streamline operations and manage costs amid ongoing labor pressures.
During many McDonald’s visits, some customers seem to struggle with the kiosk system, especially when customizing orders.
“Restaurant operators are balancing pricing, traffic and margin pressures in a more constrained consumer environment,” Bank of America analyst Sarah Senatore said in an interview with CNBC.
However, McDonald’s has had success with its extra-price meals.
“I’m pleased to say that our EVM performance in the fourth quarter was as we expected at this point. With McValue and exciting marketing, we gained traction with low-income consumers in December, and we saw a meaningful increase in our price and affordability scores,” said Kempczinski.
“As expected, as US franchisees delivered these strong value propositions throughout the year, their cash flow increased compared to the prior year,” he added.
Still, as meat prices rise, McDonald’s has found ways to cut costs. It is also testing an artificial intelligence-based ordering system.
“There’s a big jump from 10 restaurants in Chicago to 14,000 restaurants across the U.S., an endless number of promo permutations, menu permutations, bidding changes, weather — and on and on,” Kempczinski said, according to a conference transcript obtained by Nation’s Restaurant News.
“Do I think in the next five years you’ll see drive-thru noise? I do, but I don’t think it’ll be something that happens in the next year or so.”
Related: 140-year-old food company lays off 765 amid bankruptcy
This story was originally published by TheStreet on April 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the Restaurants section. Add TheStreet as a preferred source by clicking here.
