McDonald's tests new value menu as fast-food discount wars heat up

What happened

McDonald’s has begun an eight-week test of two value-menu formats in about 1,900 U.S. restaurants: mix-and-match combinations and fixed bundles. CEO Chris Kempczinski said test results will guide the choice, with the company hoping to launch a new program nationwide in early 2027.

Confirmed

Global impact / market context

The tests aim to make prices and meal choices feel more compelling as customers face higher living costs and visits to McDonald’s fell 6.2% in the third quarter. If the offers attract customers, they could support restaurant sales; discounts may also reduce money earned per order.

Analyst inference

The article places McDonald’s plans in a wider fast-food discount battle and says the chain is overhauling its menu and simplifying its value offers. This frames the rollout as a response to customer pressure, but provides no results from the current tests or details on costs.

Confirmed

What to watch

1. Results from the eight-week tests should show which format customers prefer and which works best for restaurant operations, according to the CEO. Confirmed
2. The company hopes to bring a new value program nationwide in early 2027; that timing remains a plan, not a completed rollout. Proposed
3. Watch whether the chosen offers bring customers back without cutting money earned per order enough to weaken the benefit of higher sales. Analyst inference

Evidence

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