The days of fixed menus and prices may be a thing of the past. How do you feel about it?
I vividly remember in high school and even college searching under cushions for enough spare change to buy a soda and burger. I used to know exactly what a McDonald’s meal cost including sales tax. I had just enough money in my pocket to cover lunch.
Charging the highest prices at Lunch will significantly hurt office workers and blue collar workers. I hired a contractor to remodel a bathroom a few years ago. He and his son went to Sonic or Wendys every day at lunch. It gave them a break away from the dusty job site. I still see a lot of contractors and construction workers grabbing a quick lunch at fast food restaurants.
These aren’t people with a lot of money. They’re busting their butts at a job for a paycheck. Our bosses dictate when we go for lunch. Putting the screws to the working class seems wrong.
Wendys is the first franchise. How long will it be before the other companies do the same?
It sounds like a bad idea that will partially back-fire on them. But as it will increase margin and the loss of some customers will be offset by that, the finance department will consider it a success.
@aceplace57; actually contractors might be a poor example, they usually have more flexibility for their lunchbreaks than office/factory workers.
I rarely if ever eat fast food, but if I were going to buy a Wendy’s burger I’d happily pay a dollar or two more for the lines to be shorter. (assuming the higher price causes people to not eat there or to eat at a slower time)
"Wendy’s will not implement surge pricing, which is the practice of raising prices when demand is highest. We didn’t use that phrase, nor do we plan to implement that practice,” a spokesperson said in an email to NBC News. They added there are “no plans” to raise prices at high-demand times.
“We said these (digital) menu boards would give us more flexibility to change the display of featured items. This was misconstrued in some media reports as an intent to raise prices when demand is highest at our restaurants. We have no plans to do that and would not raise prices when our customers are visiting us most,” the Feb. 26 statement reads
If they can spread the lunch rush over 4 hours (11-3) instead of 2 (12-2) might be able to have 6 employees working really hard for four hours instead of 8 employees working really hard for two hours and less hard for two hours.
And then if they can collect a higher price for the 12-2 crowd anyway, they have more revenue and less expense.
First of all, workers usually eat lunch when their bosses tell them to, not when it’s convenient for them; second of all, workers who do have a choice generally don’t want to eat lunch at 11 or at 3 and wouldn’t eat then even if it benefitted them economically.
Yeah, I was going out of my way not to fight the hypothetical. Personally, I’d rather grill my own burger, or go to a bar/restaurant that made nice burgers. But if my choices are limited to fast food places, I’d pay more for a shorter line.
Now that my corner deli very sadly closed, I end up at Wendy’s or McDonald’s about once a week for lunch. It is often as early as 11am or post main rush. But I’m retired and it is easy for me to be flexible. But I think non-workers are a small part of their lunchtime customers.
As the apps improve for both places, there should be a reduction is wait times also.
I haven’t been to Wendys for years, but I drive by frequently. I never notice a line at the drive-thru. Same with McDonalds and Burger King. Are fast food lines a problem some places?
It’s just good business to charge more when people are willing to pay more, and less at other times. The problem is framing it that way. Don’t talk about surge pricing. Talk about ‘happy hour’ discounts in off-peak times.