Wendy's, "dynamic pricing" and their subsequent "clarification"

[dank69]

Y'all must be taking crazy pills to be arguing that fast food is cheaper than cooking yourself. The energy costs, especially if you're in the US, are not prohibitively high.

But regardless, fast food consumption actually seems to be income-blind in the US: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-its-actually-their-kids-who-eat-it-the-most/

Please note I am not saying FF is necessarily cheaper. I am just saying it can be quite competitive after factoring everything in.

 

[Stokely]

Not like Wendy's or any other restaurant (especially crap fast food) is a requirement to live. They can charge what they like. Hell, I rarely go to any of these (trying to get healthier) and last time I went to BK I couldn't believe how expensive they've gotten.

If this was a grocery store doing this, then maybe let's have a discussion. In a lot of places, there aren't that many places for people to shop especially if they don't have a car. But Wendy's? Do yourself a favor and just don't go there. Let them charge $20 for a double-bacon triple cheese heart attack burger.

 

[pmv]

Please note I am not saying FF is necessarily cheaper. I am just saying it can be quite competitive after factoring everything in.

Yup. Though, at least here, McDonalds and the other Big Name chains have never been cheap. Growing up we rarely went to those places because they were just too expensive. The cheap fast food would be all the generic fried chicken places and fish and chip shops.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Time needed to properly prepare and cleanup a meal is definitely a factor in whether or not someone orders out. With two working parents, and some parents working more than one job to barely make it, finding the time to plan, shop, prepare, and cleanup meals is very difficult.

I prepare essentially all my food at home. When I was a mobile employee, I was relying heavily on my wife to keep the food coming. I do much more of it for now, it’s exhausting sometimes lol. Always another dish to do, food to restock, or something to put in the shopping list!

Instant pot my brother, get an instant pot.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Instant pot my brother, get an instant pot.

I actually have one. I make rice and beans in it (separately). So I have a solid supply of that plus chicken / eggs daily. The thing is awesome for real. But my diet is pretty strict for health reasons, and we don’t put anything else in it besides the occasional potatoes to make mashed (a treat), and corn during that season.

I make 2 cups at a time of the rice and beans, but I eat it multiple times a day. It’s lasts a few days, maybe a bit longer.

Way easier than stove top, and certainly saves time, still a LOT of work to manage food full time at home.

 

[UNCjigga]

When the CEO comments initially went public, I thought it made sense. If anyone here has been exposed to the post-COVID fast food industry—service standards are a mess. Sure, they may be paying workers more—but they also have fewer workers on shift especially during busy times. I think they may need to pay workers even more to maintain speedy service during peak hours—and surge pricing can help with that.

That said, the backlash was predictable, and I think people need to realize that at a certain price point, nobody would pick fast food over a local deli with a higher quality product (who also likely offers carryout service via an app.)

What the CEO referred to as surge pricing is better implemented through higher fixed prices and dynamic discounting, something various outlets are already doing via their mobile apps.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I actually have one. I make rice and beans in it (separately). So I have a solid supply of that plus chicken / eggs daily. The thing is awesome for real. But my diet is pretty strict for health reasons, and we don’t put anything else in it besides the occasional potatoes to make mashed (a treat), and corn during that season.

I make 2 cups at a time of the rice and beans, but I eat it multiple times a day. It’s lasts a few days, maybe a bit longer.

Way easier than stove top, and certainly saves time, still a LOT of work to manage food full time at home.

My Brother, pulled pork & Guinness Mac & Cheese….

 

[hal2kilo]

Mikey D's is having BOGO on their value menu. So, I had some business in town, it was peak lunch time and decided to get a simple McChicken and McDouble. They were undoubtedly the worst food I have ever gotten from a McDonald's franchise in my life. They must have been made like 9am and then microwaved back to life fully assembled. Chewing buns, all the toppings were absorbed into that chewy tough bun making it a horrible no moisture meal. Standards have gone to shit.

 

[iRONic]

I actually have one. I make rice and beans in it (separately). So I have a solid supply of that plus chicken / eggs daily. The thing is awesome for real. But my diet is pretty strict for health reasons, and we don’t put anything else in it besides the occasional potatoes to make mashed (a treat), and corn during that season.

I make 2 cups at a time of the rice and beans, but I eat it multiple times a day. It’s lasts a few days, maybe a bit longer.

Way easier than stove top, and certainly saves time, still a LOT of work to manage food full time at home.

I eat R&B 3-6 times a week to keep my gluten sensitivity in check. Luckily my wife & daughter are making enough for both fams!

They are both great cooks and the entire extended family enjoys all the ways it can be made and incorporated with the meal.

 

[nakedfrog]

My Brother, pulled pork & Guinness Mac & Cheese….

My Costco has a pretty solid pulled pork, can't be arsed to make it myself even in the instant pot, considering the price for that versus my price to buy the pork and then cook it. Just picked up some smoked pulled chicken there a couple weeks too, that has been pretty nice, and fewer calories.

 

[ch33zw1z]

My Brother, pulled pork & Guinness Mac & Cheese….

I'm sure it's out of this world. Wifey can get another instapot if she's interested . I cannot eat that

 

[Fanatical Meat]

My Costco has a pretty solid pulled pork, can't be arsed to make it myself even in the instant pot, considering the price for that versus my price to buy the pork and then cook it. Just picked up some smoked pulled chicken there a couple weeks too, that has been pretty nice, and fewer calories.

Does Costco have Guinness Mac & Cheese?

 

[hal2kilo]

Does Costco have Guinness Mac & Cheese?

No. They have a new cheese curd Mac $ Cheese though. At least the sample tasted good but so did those seasoned chicken patties that I ended up tossing after not liking the seasonings at all.

 

[nakedfrog]

Does Costco have Guinness Mac & Cheese?

It's an interesting question, but I don't care for Guinness or mac and cheese so it's not particularly relevant information for me.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

It's an interesting question, but I don't care for Guinness or mac and cheese so it's not particularly relevant information for me.

What’s wrong with you?

 

[nakedfrog]

What’s wrong with you?

Guinness is one of the least good stouts I've ever had, and pasta in general is just "meh". I'd rather just have cheese/sauce on bread, bread is fantastic. Pasta is just a squishy mass in my mouth, I get tired of the texture really quickly.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

would like to see the on paper though. FF and restaurant work in general was a minimum wage gig for most positions. Paying .50 more an hour so it’s not minimum wage isn’t what I mean either

Last time I was at McD's was last summer? Its been a good while. Hiring sign on the drive thru was 14.50 an hour or more, with a benefits package including matching 401k and a free meal every shift. Pick your shift, pick your days or some shit like that. A good 50% more to start than right before the pandemic, from what the workers told me. One said the owner wasn't giving current employees as much of a raise. So they told them either do it, or they would quit and reapply. 🤣

 

[DaaQ]

I'm not saying whether I think it makes sense, but here's a quote from the ATOT thread on the subject:
"And reality is once you're at the drive thru what are you going to do is say you want nothing and leave, after sitting there and waiting?"

Have done it and will do it again, if they don't have what I want.

I would like to know with reasonable confidence just how much of the general populace actually commits to this though, especially for convenience purchases like say fast food.

For example, I would say my wife is principled to some extent wrt purchases (she's vegetarian out of principle, for example), but I'm pretty sure she finds it mildly irksome that I won't buy EA or Ubisoft games out of principle (she likes to watch me play some video games).

There is a gas station store that is closer to where my OTN is at, I will drive further because of one person in their family. Won't give the discounts off cigarette packs that have the dollar or fifty cents off on the label, they won't take manufacturer coupons either. I won't even purchase fuel from them for a company vehicle, so that costs mee nothing, but time to drive to a different place.

Which is great because the cost of everything has stayed the same.

Actually the portion sizes have gone down, smaller buns, patties, extends into the stores as well.
Example El Monterrey burritos, when I was working in a supermarket, they were 3.49 for a package of 12. Then they changed it to like 3.99 for a package of 10. Now they are 6.50 for a package of 8.

Technically the dynamic pricing at most airlines and hotels is actually discounting too. Airlines have a ton of different fare codes, the cheaper codes are offered first, but the "full fare" price was always there and those other fares are considered "Discount Fares." Same with Hotels the max rate is the rack rate on the back of the door, everything else is a discount.

Wendy's can triple the cost of their "food" then offer discounts when it slow, but the net result would still be significantly higher food prices at peak times even if they don't "surge" the prices like Uber does.

The only way this will even partially trial out, is if they lower below current prices during non peak or non surge times.
I refuse to use a FF app to get discounts while they data mine me.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Actually the portion sizes have gone down, smaller buns, patties, extends into the stores as well.
Example El Monterrey burritos, when I was working in a supermarket, they were 3.49 for a package of 12. Then they changed it to like 3.99 for a package of 10. Now they are 6.50 for a package of 8.

Yeah that was a /s from me dog.

 

[KlokWyze]

they should use this idea to entice people to come in to get good deals when it's slow, to attract more customers. if they use it purely to just charge more when it's busy, ie surge pricing, then they will be hated.

something about using this type of idea with food seems to really piss me off

 

[KlokWyze]

Mikey D's is having BOGO on their value menu. So, I had some business in town, it was peak lunch time and decided to get a simple McChicken and McDouble. They were undoubtedly the worst food I have ever gotten from a McDonald's franchise in my life. They must have been made like 9am and then microwaved back to life fully assembled. Chewing buns, all the toppings were absorbed into that chewy tough bun making it a horrible no moisture meal. Standards have gone to shit.

it was garbage standards before covid and now it's worse and more expensive. normies that can't cook are fucked.

 

[Puffnstuff]

Wendy's has just reminded me of an old ZZ Top song....TV Dinners. Their stores in my area are in decline and the service is horrible at the two stores near me. If they close up shop I won't shed a tear for them plus I can eat for days if I do it myself versus what they charge for their not so hot food and service.

Microwave burgers are better than what they've been serving lately. I've complained to corporate but received crickets in return. How are they the #2 burger chain right now?

 

[DAPUNISHER]

. How are they the #2 burger chain right now?

Number of locations, and BK is just the worst of the worst. It's been over a decade since I was in one. The crew was friendly and upbeat. I watched them make everything we ordered, none of it was sitting around. The Whoppers, chicken strips, and fries, were the worst quality crap possible. It leaves you wondering after a bite "Is this even meat? What is that odd and unpleasant seasoning? Did these fries come from potatoes?"

Wendy's? it's probably been at least that long or longer since I've ordered there. Got my kid a baconator combo and it was over $14. Could have perfectly flat ironed a 16oz ribeye with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus for him and spent less.

Steak-n-Shake $4.44 double burger combos are probably the only fast food burgers I've had since. Unless you count 5 guys as fast food. I consider them fast casual since it takes longer and the quality is superior.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

they should use this idea to entice people to come in to get good deals when it's slow, to attract more customers. if they use it purely to just charge more when it's busy, ie surge pricing, then they will be hated.

something about using this type of idea with food seems to really piss me off

They probably are, but the nature of the human mind tends to see price differences as an upcharge rather than a discount, moreso when you're broke than when you're flush with scratch.

 

[DaaQ]

Yeah that was a /s from me dog.

I had suspicions. 👍

Even though "Shrinkflation" is real.