Chicago, April 22, 2026, 11:15 CDT
On Tuesday, McDonald’s introduced its updated U.S. McValue menu, bringing in items priced below $3 and a $4 breakfast meal deal. Gone is the buy-one, add-one-for-$1 promotion, which had appealed to bargain-seeking customers who considered it the better deal.
This shift is significant: McDonald’s wants its value pitch to land, especially as price-sensitive customers keep a close eye on menus. Since 2024, the company has ramped up promotions, reacting to backlash over fast-food price hikes and a dip in visits from bargain hunters.
McDonald’s is rolling out its new McValue menu with at least 10 options for under $3 at U.S. locations. Early risers will find breakfast staples like the Sausage McMuffin, Sausage Biscuit, Sausage Burrito, Hash Browns, and a medium McCafé Premium Roast Coffee. After breakfast hours, guests can order a McChicken, McDouble, four-piece Chicken McNuggets, small fries, or a medium soft drink.
McDonald’s has rolled out a $4 breakfast combo featuring either a Sausage McMuffin or Sausage Biscuit, plus Hash Browns and a small coffee. Lunch and dinner options haven’t gone anywhere: the $5 McChicken meal and the $6 McDouble meal are still on the menu, both bundled with nuggets, fries, and a small drink.
Alyssa Buetikofer, who heads marketing and customer experience for McDonald’s USA, said the company wants diners to spot value deals “on their terms.” Scott Rodrick—a McDonald’s owner-operator and chair of the chain’s national ad group—described the upcoming McValue iteration as tailored to customers’ “lives, routines and budgets.” McDonald’s Corporation
The math gets tricky. Under the old McValue setup, customers could tack on a second qualifying item for $1 after picking up a regular-priced item of equal or higher value. Now, prices are clearer on the new menu, but certain combinations might end up pricier for some.
Heather Nelson, senior director of syndicated research at Technomic, described McDonald’s as “always experimenting with the architecture of their value offerings,” speaking to Fast Company. Darren Tristano, chief executive at FoodserviceResults, pointed out that certain fast-food deals are often “a small discount” or simply highlight items that were already on the cheaper end. Fast Company
McDonald’s now steps into the wider value-menu fray that’s heating up across fast food. Taco Bell’s been leaning on its $3-and-under menu, and Wendy’s is rolling out updated Biggie Deals at $4, $6, and $8 price points.
McDonald’s is staying aggressive. U.S. comparable sales climbed 6.8% for the fourth quarter of 2025, with Chief Executive Chris Kempczinski crediting the chain’s “value leadership” for driving up both traffic and affordability scores. McDonald’s Corporation
There are a few caveats. According to McDonald’s, prices and participation differ, and in some locations Meal Deals could be pricier. Don’t expect these offers to work with delivery, either. Roughly 95% of McDonald’s restaurants in the U.S. are franchised, meaning owners control their own prices—so even a so-called national value menu ends up varying from one region to another.
There’s a catch: clearer pricing doesn’t always mean customers actually pay less. In some areas, those under-$3 items were already below that threshold. On top of that, food-away-from-home inflation has left consumers more alert when a so-called deal just looks like a new label. Roger Beahm, emeritus marketing professor at Wake Forest University’s School of Business, summed it up: “If everything is always positioned as a value, then can anything really be a value?” AP News
McDonald’s stock hovered at $301.44 in late-morning U.S. trade, showing almost no movement.
