Restaurants & Bars
McDonald's Fires Back At Chili's With A $5 Combo: Drive-Thru Diary
The value meal battle between fast food standbys and sit-down chain restaurants is heating up, but is it only for a limited time?
CALIFORNIA — It looks like McDonald's is taking Chili's shots against the Big Mac — and the restaurant's prices — to heart.
Earlier this month, I wrote about Chili's ongoing efforts to woo customers away from the drive-thru and into the booth, specifically with a new burger on its 3 for Me menu — which it boldly paints in ads as a beefier, more satisfying alternative to a meal at McDonald's. And it's often a better deal, too: The Chili's deal comes with an entree, side, appetizer and drink for $10.99, just 70 cents more than a Big Mac combo.
Now, McDonald's is responding. Word on the street is that the fast food giant is readying to launch a $5 combo that includes a four-piece McNugget, small fries, a small drink and either a McDouble cheeseburger or McChicken sandwich. That's according to the Associated Press, which spoke to "a person familiar with the deal."
Find out what's happening in Los Angeleswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
This person told the AP that the deal, which is set to run for a month beginning June 25, will be more expensive in some higher-cost areas like California or Hawaii.
But even if McDonald's were to charge 20 percent more in the Golden State, the deal would be a blockbuster one. Based on the McDonald's app, those four items cost $8.67 — and that's discounted with an ongoing promotion. Normally, the cost of all that food would exceed $10.
Find out what's happening in Los Angeleswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
And the impressiveness of the discount is reflected in its ephemeral nature.
Come July, the deal is set to disappear, leaving McDonald's customers left to pay higher prices for the same food they just became accustomed to getting for $5. And meantime, Chili's will likely continue offering its 3 for Me combo for the same $10.99 price point it's remained at since 2022.
If McDonald's wants to take a serious shot back at Chili's, it should consider the value of a long-lasting promotion.
Drive-Thru Diary is a journey of all that's delicious, noteworthy and downright weird in the world of fast food, quick bites and the culinary field at large. Got an idea? I'd love to hear from you: [email protected].
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
