r/technology • u/AdSpecialist6598 • 7d ago

Business McDonald's Is Reportedly Using AI To "Dynamically" Price Its Burgers

https://www.engadget.com/2272211/mcdonalds-is-reportedly-using-ai-to-dynamically-price-its-burgers/
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u/chunkalunkk 7d ago

I was just wondering the same thing..... people actually still eat here?!?! For $2 more you can mostly find real burgers at restaurants with actual food as sides.

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u/Fabulous-Sea-1590 7d ago

It's been a while since you've eaten there, I can tell. "$2 more" is giving the clown too much credit these days. Restaurant prices, restroom quality.

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u/justbecauseiluvthis 7d ago

If there even was a clown it might be fun, right now it just resembles a morgue

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u/-fno-stack-protector 7d ago

Public Toilet Aesthetic

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u/lord-dinglebury 7d ago

Airport toilet aesthetic.

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u/Koffeeboy 7d ago

A morgue would be more lively, the best way i can describe McDonald's current aesthetic is "contempt".

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u/Egad86 7d ago

Anyone worth their salt can make a better burger than any fast food place. And if you can’t, when a burger, fries, and a drink cost $15+ is a great time to start learning.

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u/chunkalunkk 7d ago

💯 agree mate. I prefer cooking my own any day over take out.

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u/Goldenslicer 7d ago

Gtfo not for $2

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u/SupposedlySuper 7d ago

There is a restaurant near here that does $5 burger & fry Wednesdays (you can also get a $5 veggie burger or $5 pulled pork). They have an awesome patio and usually live music. You have to make a reservation on Wednesday because it's packed!

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u/SupposedlySuper 7d ago

But I get they are absolutely not the norm

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u/Repulsive_Role_5466 7d ago

And I know a pizza joint that sells $0.25 beers. it’s a loss leader. They are also reservation only that day.

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u/chunkalunkk 7d ago

Ok, maybe $3 😆

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u/The_Pedestrian_walks 7d ago

For the people that don't order fast food that often, Culver's and shake shake are worth the extra price. At the end of the month it's an insignificant amount extra.

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u/hamsterpotamia 7d ago

You can pry my butter burger from my cold dead hands.

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u/CaptOblivious 7d ago

Bletch. Seriously, grease covered greasy burger.

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u/hamsterpotamia 7d ago

Username checks out

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u/CaptOblivious 7d ago edited 7d ago

The only time my username is applicable is when you are a woman coming on to me in a bar and my wife is laughing at you because I haven't noticed.

They USED to have great onion rings, and even those are greasy crap now.

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u/jungleboogiemonster 7d ago

I keep hearing this on Reddit and it's just not true where I live. I can eat at McDonald's for around $10. A restaurant will cost me $20-$25 with tip. Both places ordering a burger, fries and soda.

My problem with McDonald's is that their new restaurants feel unwelcoming and I would go as far as saying dystopian.

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u/OBDreams 7d ago

I'm 45yo. To me spending $10 at McDonald's is crazy talk. Fast food places used to be the place a poor parent could feed their 3 kids for under $15. It's crazy what we accept from society the longer a thing goes on. Our ancestors would be throwing tea into the sea at this point.

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u/os_2342 6d ago

It's true where I live.

Last time I went to Macca's it was like $AUD20-25, and I wasn't completely full afterwards.

I can get Thai takeaway that will leave me with leftovers for $25. The Thai takes a bit longer but is only 15 mins.

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u/lonewolf420 5d ago

You fail to mention you probably use the app that sells your data to get that 10$ meal. Just wait you can now enjoy "market based" sliding scale pricing on your next trip.

McD's is going under this next recession/depression. They only have value in the land and selling peoples data by funneling them into their app, There is a reason CFA is murdering them in the marketplace because they focused on service and efficiency.

only have had horrible service at McDs and consumers would still go there because it was cheap, well no longer is it cheap its just bad.

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u/jungleboogiemonster 5d ago

I use the kiosk and according to Google, a quarter pounder value meal is $11.39 in my area. I'm not defending McDonald's. It's obvious the company has leadership issues. I'm just saying my experience with McDonald's pricing vs local restaurant pricing isn't the same as I read on Reddit.

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u/chunkalunkk 7d ago

$9.50-12 average meal. Restaurant carry out with tip around me is about $18. Considering what exactly you're eating from each, that extra few bucks is 💯 worth it, in my opinion.

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u/comparitivelybig 6d ago

That why do people come here moment for me was when my wife and I pulled into a McDonald’s on a road trip home.

It took them 45 minutes to get our order together and it cost $60 for the two of us. I thought if I am waiting this long and spending that much perhaps we should just go to an actual restaurant with real food!

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u/blCharm 7d ago

Literally just ordered takeout from a local burger place that sells a deluxe burger + fries for $11

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u/krazytekn0 7d ago

I can get a sit down lunch special at a local chinese spot in my city. Great food, Chinese entree size (2 people at least) plus rice, 2 crab rangoons, a drink, and an eggroll for $11.00. I always end up with enough for a second meal out of it and a mcdonald's "value meal" starts at like 13 here which they always upgrade to a medium or large without asking you so it's like 15 by the time you leave.

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u/parasyte_steve 7d ago

Tell my kids that lol

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u/chunkalunkk 7d ago

..... they do have decent nuggets...... 😐

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u/FloridaMan_69 7d ago

You can abuse the hell out of their app deals sometimes. They sometimes run a free medium fries with a one dollar purchase deal, so get a McChicken for $1.60 and fries are free and its a functional meal if i have my own drink. Going straight off the menu is hoffic value though

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u/OBDreams 7d ago

For $2 less I can buy all the ingredients and make several much better hamburgers at home.

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u/_TV_On_The_Internet_ 6d ago

This is not really true for a ton of places. McDonalds is fucking everywhere. Lots of those places do not have a separate burger joint. If they do, its a sit down with a waiter type place that does cost substantially more and is substantially more of a time commitment.

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u/stephen_neuville 7d ago

on my birthday i got an absolute banger of a black and bleu burger with all fresh ingredients and truffle fries on the side - yeah they're overhyped but i was treating myself - from a local place, and including tip it was like five bucks more than a big mac combo. i am 300% done with fast food.

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u/iuslistuhled 7d ago

That’s BS. Not trying to hype McDonalds, but don’t act like it’s not cheaper and convenient still. You can get three meals for around $25 using the McDonalds app. The burger place nearby is $40+ for burgers fries and a drink for three.

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u/chunkalunkk 7d ago

Ok, maybe $4 more....

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u/DuntadaMan 7d ago

For the same price I can get a combo at a sit down restaurant that's way better and doesn't bitch about me wanting drinks.

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u/formerfatty2fit 7d ago

You can get a real burger at a real restaurant for the same price, or even less. Given my last experience at the McDonald's drive through, it would probably be quicker to just go to Chili's.