It’s the summer of $5 meals: Burger King creates a value meal to rival McDonald’s deal

• Burger King is launching a $5 meal deal before McDonald’s similar promotion.
• The Burger King deal includes a sandwich, nuggets, fries, and a drink and will run for several months.
• Fast-food chains are introducing value meals amid inflation and high menu prices.

Burger King is launching its own $5 meal just two weeks after reports of McDonald’s introducing a similar deal.

Burger King plans to launch the set, which will include a sandwich, chicken nuggets, fries and a drink, before McDonald’s, according to a document seen by Bloomberg. The promotion will also run for longer than one month, unlike McDonald’s.

“Regardless of their plans, we are moving full speed ahead with our own plans to launch our own $5 value meal before they do — and run it for several months,” Burger King US and Canada president Tom Curtis wrote in a memo seen by Bloomberg.

Customers are already calling McDonald’s $5 meal deal ‘skimpy’

McDonald’s plans to start offering the deal for about a month beginning June 25 at its US restaurants, The Wall Street Journal reported last week. It’s unclear exactly when Burger King will launch its promotion.

Earlier this week, Wendy’s also announced its version of a value meal — a $3 set consisting of a breakfast sandwich and a small batch of seasoned potatoes.

The price wars come as fast-food chains look to attract customers who are tightening their belts amid inflationary pressures.

Fast-food prices have stayed high since chains increased their menu prices during the pandemic in response to soaring food and labor costs. In April, fast-food executives told investors in a series of earnings calls that people are cutting back on visits to quick-service restaurants.

Last month, Joshua Kobza, the CEO of Burger King parent Restaurant Brands International, told analysts that diners had become “a bit more sensitive to price.”

“Our priority is to continue enhancing our value proposition through our quality food and beverages at attractive price points,” Kobza said.

However, some price-sensitive customers have not been pacified.

While the McDonald’s $5 meal gives customers about $18 worth of food, based on current prices in some urban areas, people on social media have called the promotion “skimpy” and are upset that it will only last one month.