McDonald’s in Australia is coming under fire after customers in a Reddit thread recently noticed price increases for popular menu items. One Aussie social media user even dubbed the new prices as a ‘joke’ and others shared ‘subtle sings’ of a recession, which could explain why the chain is asking more from customers’ pockets.
As Mickey D’s fans continue to compare online, the prices of certain menu options (we’ll get into them below) are significantly more now in 2022 than they were in 2019. As reported by The Daily Mail, when customers order at the restaurant or through the MyMaccas app, a Big Mac (that once cost $5.75 in 2019) now costs $6.90.
If one were to add the hamburger to a large meal three years ago, it would have cost $10.55, but now costs up to $12.70. And it doesn’t stop there— in 2019, a Filet-O-Fish sandwich was notably $5 but is now $5.80, and a box of 20 McNuggets used to be $12.40 but is now priced at $13.30. Other surprising menu increases include a chicken snack wrap (which increased in price from $2.50 to $4.15) and a large Coke (was $3.35 in 2019 and now costs $4.55).
Naturally, recent customer reactions to these increases were impassioned and largely frustrated, with one user writing on an Aussie McDonald's Facebook page, "Have Mc Donald Filet-O-Fish always been this small? I don't remember it being mini, kid-size like this?!" Others pointed out how despite price increases, they felt their favorite McDonald's foods were "shrinking."
Another shopper added, "We had Big Macs last week. Not only have the buns shrunk but the meat patties were so thin we could see literally through them. Was as if they had sliced them in half." Someone else commented, "Just like the quarter pounder, got its name as it was a quarter pound of beef, it's barely that now," and another replied, "Inflated price...deflated goods."
A spokesperson for the giant fast food chain emphasized that "there have been no changes to the size of the burgers," as the Daily Mail reports, adding, "We are committed to offering our customers great quality, great value burgers featuring 100 per cent RSPCA approved chicken and 100 per cent Aussie beef."
In an official statement, McDonald's spoke to Daily Mail Australia about the price increases specifically, "As individual businesses, McDonald's prices are set at a restaurant level. Like all businesses, we review menu prices from time to time and consider several factors, including the higher-cost environment we are operating in." They continued, "While this may result in slight changes, Macca's is committed to delivering great value for our Aussie customers."
