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McDonald’s is moving forward with its plan to launch a $5 meal deal in a bid to win over carefully spending consumers.
The Wall Street Journal, citing internal emails with the chain, said that as part of the bundle, the fast food giant will offer select items such as a McChicken or a McDouble, small fries and a small drink, and a four-count McNugget meal. The initiative is expected to last about one month and begins on June 25, the publication added.
In an email to Quartz, McDonald’s said that offering a value bundle will resonate with customers.
“We know how much it means to our customers when McDonald’s offers meaningful value and communicates it through national advertising,” a McDonald’s spokesperson said in an email to Quartz. “That’s been true since our very beginning and never more important than it is today.”
In the past, the promotion has been a challenge for McDonald’s, in part because its franchisees, which make up 93% of its restaurants, have pushed back on the strategy, claiming they would lose money on it. But Tuesday night, it finally gained approval from its franchisees, per the Journal.
Coca Cola, a decades-long beverage supplier for McDonald’s, may help mitigate those cost concerns. The company is expected to chip an estimated $4.6 million to help offset the promotion, the Journal said, citing emails with the chain.
John Palmaccio, a McDonald’s operator and Operators National Advertising (OPNAD) Fund Chair, said in an email that value and affordability “have always been a hallmark of McDonald’s brand.”
“All three legs of the stool are coming together to deliver that at a time when our customers really need it,” Palmaccio said.