Fast food chain McDonald’s recently debuted the “Grimace Birthday Meal” in honor of the character’s birthday. Although the character actually debuted in November of 1971, McDonald’s has announced that Grimace’s true birthday is in June, leading to a celebration that has taken over the chain’s American locations.
As part of this promotion, the chain released the titular birthday meal, which includes a choice of McNuggets or a Big Mac alongside fries and a purple, berry-flavored shake.
While many were excited by this announcement, others criticized the chain for its inconsistent pricing, as prices for the birthday meal could vary wildly from store to store. TikTok user Snackolator went so far as to accuse certain franchise owners of price-gouging, saying that they were charging almost $4 extra for the Grimace shake.
Now, another user on TikTok claims to have captured a McDonald’s location admitting to the alleged price gouging.
In a clip with over 141,000 views, TikTok user @cheshirecat1848 attempts to order the Grimace Birthday Meal. The drive-thru attendant says that they cannot process her order as there is an error in the pricing.
“There’s something wrong with the pricing,” the worker says. “We over-priced, so we’re not allowed to sell it.” The price on the menu is listed as $18.38 for a 10-piece McNuggets meal.
@cheshirecat1848 Mcdonalds Admits to Over Pricing Grimace Birthday Meals-“not allowed to sell” #mcdonalds #grimacesbirthday #overpriced #grimacebirthdaymeal #fyp ♬ original sound – ✨ The Cheshire Cat ✨
“Mcdonalds Admits to Over Pricing Grimace Birthday Meals-’not allowed to sell,’” the TikToker writes in the caption.
In the comments section, users claimed that they had seen similarly high prices for the Grimace Birthday Meal at their own locations.
“I paid $19.98 for the nuggets,” alleged a user.
“almost $19 in Massachusetts,” offered another.
While others claimed they had seen significantly lower prices, many users stated their view that it was good that the individual store was correcting its pricing and hoped that others would do the same.
“This is happening all around the country – I don’t think it’s a mistake but glad some places are going to be fixing it!” stated a commenter.
“Their was some sort of error, and while they could sell them, they don’t want to overcharge you,” offered another. “She was being nice.”
The Daily Dot reached out to McDonald’s USA via email and the TikToker via TikTok comment.
So how long is the McDonald’s Grimace meal available?
While supplies last. Grimace Mania is sweeping the nation, however, so don’t be surprised if that means the party keeps going all summer.
