Democratic senators slam McDonald's for menu price hikes they say have outpaced inflation

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NBC News

Oct. 22, 2024, 5:00 AM EDT


Three Democratic senators are asking McDonald’s about its menu price hikes in recent years, arguing that the increases are higher than they should be — even with inflation and rising operating costs.

In a letter sent late Monday afternoon, Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Ron Wyden of Oregon demanded that McDonald’s President and CEO Chris Kempczinski explain the chain’s pricing decisions. “McDonald’s own reports indicate that the company’s price increases may be outstripping inflation,” read the letter, which was shared first with NBC News.

Operating expenses at McDonald’s increased by 16.5% from 2020 to 2023, while its net profit margins increased from about 26% to 32% in the same period, according to the letter. “As a result, McDonald’s net annual income rose by over 79% — to nearly $8.5 billion — from 2020 to 2023,” it said.

The letter comes as fast-food restaurant prices have become out of reach for some lower-income households, leading them to instead opt to eat at home.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/democratic-senators-slam-mcdonalds-menu-price-hikes-rcna176380

---

Link to Sen. Warren PRESS RELEASE (finally) - Warren, Casey, Wyden Slam McDonald’s for Squeezing Customers with Excessive Price Increases

Link to LETTER (PDF) - https://www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/letter_to_mcdonalds_ceo_remenupriceincreasesandstockbuybacks1.pdf

[intrepidity]

1. 79% rise in profit tells the whole story

But why do people still go there?

[33taw]

2. After Sunday's stunt - why would anyone go there?

[durablend]

4. No trademark lawsuit yet for the shirt, I take it?

The silence tells a lot doesn't it?

[33taw]

5. Yep.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. When McDonald's first opened, they were quite good.

If you get your hands on a time machine, go back to about 1960 and check it out.

[usonian]

6. I was there. I worked there briefly.

Around this time.



The time of REAL potatoes!

I wonder if the price hikes are partly due to theft from the Hamburglar.

[keithbvadu2]

7. Over 10 billion served. Almost half a cow.

(I don't know how many billions)

[twodogsbarking]

8. The burgers all had ketchup and mustard. They wouldn't make them without.

[usonian]

9. KMOP

That's engraved in my memory. I recall checkboxes somewhere on the order form.

Ketchup, Mustard, Onions, Pickles.

You could get a "special" but they were discouraged (delayed), because they were not batch operations.

One woman wanted a pattie for her dog, and we suggested tossing the bun (or eating it, I suppose) but she persisted, and waited for her special order.

This order form looks familiar.



And there was no chicken, nor cookies and pie in those days.

There's another up on Reddit, but it has multiples of all the prices, and I don't remember that.
Both have KMOP checkboxes.

"Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don't upset us" was the response to the delays.

[BlueKota]

10. Love the old cars and that hamburglar meme