Chili’s trolls fast-food giants as value meals face backlash from price-weary consumers
Chili’s took aim at fast-food giants this week, mocking so-called “value meals” as Americans show signs of cutting back.
The casual dining chain made the callout in response to an X post about rising prices on Dec. 29.
“McDonald’s says customers are ‘pulling back,'” an X user wrote. “Same with Wendy’s. Same with Burger King.”
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The commenter added, “When fast food loses traffic, it’s a stress signal. People are tapped out.”
The tweet was a reference to comments by McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski that low-income diners are tightening their spending, though the chain has been steadily growing internationally.
“We continue to see a bifurcated consumer base,” Kempczinski told investors during a company earnings call this year.
“Traffic from lower-income consumers declined nearly double digits in the third quarter — a trend that’s persisted for nearly two years.”
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In response to the X user’s observation, Chili’s criticized fast-food chains for offering “value meals” that don’t deliver on their promises.
“It’s finally clocking to y’all that there’s no value in ‘value meals,'” Chili’s posted, adding the hashtag #mcscammed.
“Reminder that you can get a burger with fries, bottomless chips and salsa and a drink for $10.99 at Chili’s,” the tweet added.
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The declaration — and the promise of a full meal for less than $11 — intrigued X users.
“I’ve never been to a Chili’s. This is very appealing, though,” one person wrote.
“And a margarita of the month for $6,” another added. “This has become a tradition [for] my mom and [me]. Once a month, we splurge!”
A Chili’s spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the restaurant chain “offers everyday value against fast-food pricing.”
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Fox News Digital also reached out to McDonald’s for comment.
The social media spat came as price-weary consumers continue to battle rising costs at grocery stores and restaurants alike.
This August, Hamburger Helper’s year-over-year sales rose 14.5% due to consumers gravitating toward the tried-and-true budget meal.
On social media, “leftover hacks” have proved popular amid high food prices this holiday season.
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