Joe Erlinger, president of
McDonald’s USA, addressed recent claims concerning increased menu
prices through an open letter on Wednesday. The fast food executive
acknowledged that McDonald’s menu items have seen an average price rise of about 40 percent since 2019. While Erlinger sought to refute claims by
House Republicans — among others — that menu price hikes exceeded 100 percent, he did confirm that
inflation has forced a drastic rise in food costs.
(Article republished from
TheNationalPulse.com)
“Americans across the country are making
tough calls about where to spend their hard-earned money,” Erlinger said. “And while we’ve been working hard to make sure our fans have great reasons to visit us, it’s clear that we — together with our franchisees — must remain laser-focused on value and
affordability.”
Erlinger reported that the cost of a
Big Mac meal has risen to $9.29, a 27 percent increase from $7.29 in 2019. Similarly, a 10-piece
McNuggets meal has seen a 28 percent price increase, while medium french fries’ prices have surged by 44 percent. He attributed these rises to
increased costs in salaries and source
products.
“For a brand that proudly serves nearly 90 percent of the U.S.
population every year, we feel a responsibility to make sure the real
facts are available,” Erlinger stated.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumer prices have
risen 3.4 percent over the past year. The upward
cost trend has led to some
consumers cutting back on restaurant visits, impacting the fast-food industry, including McDonald’s. In its first-quarter
earnings report, the company reported that same-store sales fell below expectations.
Meanwhile, the National Owners Association, an independent group of
McDonald’s franchisees, is advocating that any potential discounted offerings be sustainable for
operators. “There simply is not enough profit to discount 30 percent for this model to be sustainable,” the board stated in a letter to its members. “It necessitates a financial contribution by McDonald’s.”
BIDEN IN DENIAL.
The prospect of a re-acceleration of inflation has left the
Biden government and presidential
campaign in denial. Three straight months of increasing
inflation have forced the 81-year-old Democrat to avoid discussing the U.S. economy on the 2024 campaign trail. Instead, Biden and his
surrogates have opted to either
deny that inflation is a problem or, most recently,
falsely insist that inflation has actually decreased since he took office.
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