McDonald’s has been using artificial intelligence to dynamically price menu items in the US and some global markets, according to a report by Reuters. This involves finding the “optimal price” to match what a particular store’s patrons would be willing to pay.
This fluctuates according to location, and even stores in the same city can have different cost amounts for the same exact items, according to information reviewed by Reuters. This is basically surge pricing, like with ride-share platforms, but for hockey puck burgers that have been sitting under a hot lamp.
Reuters got a look at the interface that franchisees use to access this technology and it’s pretty creepy. Messages show stuff like “your restaurant is showing MEDIUM SENSITIVITY to price” based on “customer willingness to pay in your area.” Cost differences at nearby locations can be stark. Researchers found that a Bic Mac at a Fresno, California store cost $5.69, but the same burger cost $6.89 at another branch two miles down the road. That’s a 21 percent difference.
I am using my brain to avoid going there if I can.
There are better places for less.
You can make just about everything at home and it’ll be better quality. The only thing thats really hard to replicate are the fries, which are one of the best things at McDonalds when they’re fresh. Even if you have a deep fryer at home (unlikely) they go through multiple processes that give them their unique taste and texture.
But burgers are easy to make, the trick is roll a 2 oz patty of ground chuck as thinly as you can. 2mm thick is ideal cause it’ll thicken up and shrink in diameter a little as it cooks. Salt and pepper are the only seasonings used.
Dehydrated chopped onions are easy to find and they can be made in seconds at home by rehydrating them. Bam. You got a double cheeseburger. A Big Mac uses their special sauce and some rotten shredded lettuce. The sauce recipes are all online and I even think companies make clone sauces now you can buy at the store. I know Arby’s sells their sauces at the store now.
I haven’t tried it but I’ve been told Walmart sells the same frozen hashbrowns McDonalds uses. Way cheaper than way and you just toast them quick right out of the freezer.
Fuck McDonalds. They’ve become something to actively avoid and if you like something there do some research cause someone online has figured out how to make it at home.