Should Fast-Food Retailers Embrace Menu Hacks or Stop Them?
Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash
Many fast-food menu hacks are similar to secret menus, while others allow consumers to take advantage of a loophole in order to save money.
According to Fast Food Club, a variety of fast-food hacks are currently in use. For example, you can reportedly get free breakfast items at Chick-fil-A by mentioning the secret code “Breakfast Samples” when you order. These samples are the result of any leftover food after Chick-fil-A's 10:30 a.m. breakfast cutoff time. While some locations may require you to make a purchase first, others give them away for free.
For Burger King fans, customers can order a mix of fries and onion rings in one container, known as “Frings.” This popular item combines half fries and half onion rings, making it the perfect choice if you can’t decide between the two. In fact, Burger King has even started testing Frings as a regular menu item in some Florida locations.
The latter example especially is a win-win for the fast-food chain and customers. However, can the same be said about hacks that allow consumers to exploit loopholes?
A new "burrito hack" at Chipotle, for instance, allows customers to create a burrito for about $3. To do this, they start by selecting "single taco" on the app and opting for most toppings to be put on the side. For ingredients like fajitas, cheese, and romaine, there isn't a "side" option, so they select "extra." Finally, they request a side tortilla, which is usually free, and put everything together inside it. This clever ordering strategy lets patrons enjoy a burrito at a lower cost than usual.
Furthermore, there's also a hack for getting fresh fries at McDonald’s that involves ordering them without salt. This request prompts staff to cook a new plain batch. Afterward, patrons can simply ask for salt packets to season the fries to their preference. This strategy maximizes the chances of enjoying freshly cooked fries, but arguably, this might cause unnecessary work for employees or affect the restaurant's stock.
While these fast-food hacks are generally favored by consumers, there is one hack in particular that has faced some criticism.
The method, which was brought to light by The Daily Dot last August, involves taking advantage of a promotion from Popeyes that offers a free two-piece chicken meal with the purchase of a large drink.
On the back of a Popeyes receipt, there's a survey offer that includes a free meal with the purchase of a large drink. Normally, the consumer needs to visit the website and complete the survey. This will provide them with a validation code. However, one TikToker shared how to get this code without taking the survey, explaining that it is based on the consumer's visit date and the restaurant's number. Specifically, she shared that the code consists of:
- Two digits for the month
- Two digits for the day
- Two digits for the year
- A five-digit restaurant number
For example, if the customer visited on Oct. 28, 2024, and their restaurant number is 11858, the code would be 10282411858. At Popeyes, the customer can order something cheap to get a receipt and then use the validation code for the free meal.
Furthermore, the TikToker noted that this can be used repeatedly and across different locations without restrictions, since getting the free meal gives the customer another receipt to repeat the process all over again.
The user who shared this hack on TikTok claimed to have been using it for a decade. Some commentators felt this hack was too much work, and another said the TikTok poster should be ashamed of doing this for the past 10 years. Others, however, seemed to appreciate the advice, calling the hack a "life saver," though some also noted that they didn't mind doing the survey to help benefit the restaurant and its employees. "I’d rather do the survey so the workers get recognition," the commenter said. "The survey is there for a reason!"
In a landscape where fast-food hacks can please customers but also potentially strain operations, retailers face a pivotal choice: Should they embrace and promote these clever shortcuts as a part of their brand identity, or should they consider shutting down those that exploit loopholes and potentially harm their bottom line?