“Like when did affordable things no longer become affordable?” That’s a question TikToker Suzi (@jacuzzionsuzi) had for McDonald’s after seeing the price of the chain’s new Grandma McFlurry.
The chain describes the new item as “featur[ing] smooth, sweet syrup with chopped candy pieces for a crunch (reminiscent of grandma’s favorite treat), blended in our creamy vanilla soft serve.”
The cost of the item gobsmacked the social media influencer, who then went on a rant in a clip where she called out McDonald’s for the prices of its items versus their quality.
@jacuzzionsuzi #greenscreen these prices are getting out of hand. even mcdonalds is falling into the downfall price increases. #mcdonalds #priceincrease #economy #relatable #rant ♬ original sound – suzi
Suzi begins her video shouting into the camera which she records from the interior of her car: “This video goes out to McDonald’s and McDonald’s only…. I want to talk about the new prices at McDonald’s.”
“My grandma would be f*cking pissed at you because is this new Grandma f*cking McFlurry sh*t,” she rants. “Five dollars?!”
The TikToker adds that she didn’t believe the McFlurry was a good value, stating that there are better options for the amount of money McDonald’s is charging for the ice cream dessert shoppers can enjoy.
“I can go to Cold Stone for that,” she says.
She then shifts her attention to some of the other offerings from the chain, saying, “The dollar menu no longer exists…what the f*ck is a $3 menu? I’m looking for a deal. If I wanted good food I wouldn’t f*cking go here.”
The TikToker was also stunned by the costs of combo meals.
“As you can see, all of the meals now are like $11?! That’s more than Chipotle are you f*cking stupid?” the creator continues, saying she would rather “not eat.” She then slams the six-piece McNuggets for costing $10. Throughout her clip, she shares screenshots of the McDonald’s menu on its mobile app.
“Do. Better,” she says at the end of the video after criticizing most of the menu items and their prices.
Reactions to McDonald’s price increases
Suzi isn’t the only McDonald’s customer to hop on social media and decry these McDonald’sprices. Guests of the restaurant have flat out said that the food, once considered a beacon of cheap and quick “last resort” food, is now considered a luxury.
Many have also lamented the disappearance of the chain’s “dollar” and “value menus” stating that being able to purchase affordable food from the business has become almost impossible without the use of the company’s mobile app.
And while many say you can score plenty of deals as long as you learn how to “finesse” the mobile app, a former McDonald’s corporate chef pointed out that both he and others aren’t so happy with that.
The main drawback he listed is that guests are put in a position where if they want a low-cost meal then they have to accept whatever McDonald’s sells them.
Although the prices of Mickey D’s offerings have gone up in recent years, which is typical as fast food inflation has outpaced the national average of massive inflation, it hasn’t seemed to have adversely affected the company’s bottom line. McDonald’s Q1 2024 results were favorable, noting a 2% overall increase in growth.
Is McDonald’s pricing out its base customers?
Despite this growth, some have expressed concern that Mickey D’s has alienated low-income customers from frequenting its restaurants. Once a staple of the brand’s consumer base, folks may be removing McDonald’s as an option from their minds altogether if item costs continue to soar. It’s a concern that’s even been addressed by McDonald’s CEO Chris Kepmcinzski, who said that “more attention to what [he] would describe as affordability” would be a primary concern for the company throughout 2024.
TikTokers who responded to Suzi’s video stated that they, too, thought McDonald’s was way too pricey.
“Might as well pay an extra 5 bucks for a restaurant meal at this point,” one wrote.
Another simply said, “This was the McDonald’s rant I was looking for.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to McDonald’s and Suzi via email for further comment.
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