A value menu is a group of menu items at a fast food restaurant that are designed to be the least expensive items available. In the US, the items are usually priced between $0.99 and $2.99. The portion size, and number of items included with the food, are typically related to the price.
Arby's announced the launch of their value menu on April 9, 2010. [1] Items on the value menu vary based on location, but typically include small or value size roast beef sandwiches, curly fries, milkshakes, chicken sandwiches, ham and cheddar sandwiches, and turnovers. [2]
Burger King added a value menu in 1998 with items priced at 99¢ (USD), [3] equivalent to $1.85in 2023. In 2002 [4] and 2006, BK revamped its value menu, adding and removing products at 99¢, and later increasing some prices to $1.39. [5] Many of these items have since been discontinued, modified or relegated to a regional menu option. [6] The Burger King Whopper was the very first 99 cent burger and it revolutionized the 99 cent menu in the fast food industry. [7]
After numerous attempts beginning in 1991, [8] experimenting with a variety of menus and pricing strategies, [9] McDonald's launched its first national value menu, the Dollar Menu, in late 2002 in the United States. [10]
A new value menu was rolled out at McDonald's on January 4, 2018 in the United States. It featured a dozen items at various price points: $1, $2 and $3, with four items per price point. [11] Originally, this menu no longer featured fries, which was criticized by Good Mythical Morning along with only a few items at the $1 price point. [12] In Canada, fries are available for CA$2.49 on the McPicks menu. [13]
On May 13, 2024, news outlets have reported that McDonald's plans to launch a $5 value meal in the United States. The meal will reportedly include a sandwich (McDouble or McChicken), four Chicken McNuggets, a small fries and a small soft drink. [14] In Canada, a similar meal is available for CA$5.79, without the four McNuggets. [13]
| McDonald's Dollar Menu (United States) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price point | Items | |||
| $1 | Cheeseburger | McChicken | Sausage Burrito | Soft Drink |
| $2 | Bacon McDouble | Buttermilk Crispy Tenders (x2) | Sausage McGriddles | Small McCafé |
| $3 | Triple Cheeseburger | Classic Chicken Sandwich | Sausage McMuffin with Egg | Happy Meal |
| McDonald's Summer Value Menu 2024 (Canada) [15] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price point | Items | |||
| $1 † | Small Soft Drink | Small Iced Coffee | Vanilla Cone | |
| $2 | Small Fruit Splash | Snack Size Milkshake ‡ | Sundae | 2 Apple Pies |
| $3 | Small Fruit Smoothie | Small Frappe | Small Cold Brew | Large Fruit Splash |
† The $1 vanilla cone requires the McDonald's Canada app for Android or iOS. Medium and large soft drinks and iced coffee are also available for $1 with the app.
‡ The snack size Grimace Shake is also available for $2.
Subway offered a $4.99 footlong menu in the United States. The promotion began in 2004 as a $5 footlong menu (equivalent to $8.07in 2023).
In 1988, Taco Bell lowered the prices of all new items and launched the first three-tiered pricing strategy and free drink refills. [16] In 2010, Taco Bell introduced the $2 Meal Deals menu, featuring a menu item (i.e., a chicken burrito, a beefy 5-layer burrito, a double decker taco, or a Gordita supreme), a bag of Doritos, and a medium drink. [17] On August 18, 2014, Taco Bell launched a new value menu called Dollar Cravings that included eleven food items each priced a $1. [18] [19] [20] [21]
On December 15, 2017, Taco Bell launched an advertising campaign called "The Belluminati" to advertise its Dollar Cravings menu. [22]
Wendy's is generally credited with being the first fast food chain to offer a value menu in October 1989, with every item priced at $0.99 (equivalent to $2.43in 2023). [23] [24] [25] However, the general price for value menu items is now around $1.55.
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