# Does McDonalds make money on their value menu?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-make-money-on-their-value-menu/290164>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 15, 2005, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-make-money-on-their-value-menu/290164 "2005-02-15T06:34:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-make-money-on-their-value-menu/290164/21 "2005-02-16T03:14:44Z")

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Thank Og… a GQ thread that I can answer!

From my experience at McDonald’s, the product is much cheaper than you may even dream. A patty of meat for a double cheeseburger costed us around 11 cents. The cheese was 3 cents per slice, and the condiments virtually negligible.

All in all, including labor (maybe 2 minutes? I know I can make a double cheeseburger in \<12 seconds, but there’s a cashier, and a runner, etc.), I’d bet that McDonald’s comes out 40-50 cents ahead on the double cheeseburger.

As for things that cost McDonald’s a bunch of money to make, I’m betting the McChicken will edge out its other dollar menu competitors.

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**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-make-money-on-their-value-menu/290164/22 "2005-02-16T10:00:20Z")

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Well near the end of the replies here I feel obligated to bring up the Old Snopes article

[http://www.snopes.com/horrors/food/wormburg.htm](http://www.snopes.com/horrors/food/wormburg.htm)

In which they debunk worms being in McD’s beef.

It does make sense, that it would cost more for worms, and there isn’t much demand (Even outside of Fast Food, if you want to concede that much).

The same Article cites a Time Magazine article from 1992 putting One pound of Hamurger at $1.50

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