Anybody who says that they don’t like McDonald’s is kidding themselves. I remember going through the Drive-Thru as a kid for the classic “save time and money” sort of dinner that is necessary every once in awhile for a busy mom or dad. It would be a simple, familiar, quick, and enjoyable experience for all of us: My mom would pull up, think to herself, I’ve got ten bucks, I’ve got three kids, and she’d say to us “You’re all getting three things off the Dollar Menu--whichever three things you want.”

That last “whichever” part is very important. You see, that was the beauty of the McDonald’s Dollar Menu--the simplicity and affordability of CHOICE made it an option that nobody was upset about. A teenager scrounging up some change would be able to get himself at least a McChicken or two if he was broke and still wanted to go to lunch with some friends. A host could show up to a party with food for everybody and not entirely break the bank. A busy mother could feed her kids, husband, and self with a twenty dollar bill and still get change back.

However, we as loyal customers have been denied this experience for the last few years. The Dollar Menu became the “Dollar Menu & More,” the “Value Menu,” and, most recently, the “$1 $2 $3 Menu.” There’s been a few rounds of the “Mix ‘n Match” deals, for $3 and $5. Blessedly, any size drink has gone back to being $1. This revolving door of what McDonald’s attempts to market to us as “deals” is a disgrace. Even since its inception items have disappeared off the “$1 $2 $3 Menu,” or their prices have gone up. Now, you can’t even get two McDoubles for $3--it’s just two regular cheeseburgers.

This, to me, is unacceptable. These options are caricatures of what should be a core feature of McDonald’s--THE DOLLAR MENU. As a loyal customer of years, I feel insulted when I need to spend nearly two full dollars for a single McChicken. We should be rewarded for our loyalty; not slapped across the face with ever-increasing costs. I understand that with inflation and a changing economy, sometimes raising prices is simply necessary. However, that should not affect what should be RELIABLE, TRUSTWORTHY, and CONSISTENT with each McDonald’s experience.

I am asking that McDonalds reestablish the Dollar Menu nationally. Regardless of what the rest of the menu looks like, a Dollar Menu should be a staple of McDonald’s, and should contain at least the following items:

Any size drink
McChicken
McDouble
Four piece McNugget
Small Fry
Sausage McMuffin
Item “X”

Item “X” is a variable that rotates through and changes periodically. I feel as though it should be common sense for these deals to make their return, as they never should have left. The terms “McDonald’s” and “Dollar Menu” should be synonymous. 

TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE THE CHANGE!