Photo by Joraib Morales on Unsplash
McDonald’s Launches Its Value Menu & Brings Back the Strawberry & Creme Pie
January 8, 2025
McDonald’s has unveiled its largest menu shakeup in years by launching its McValue platform. Additionally, the fast-food chain has reportedly brought back one of its most popular and beloved desserts: the Strawberry & Creme Pie. Let’s look at the details.
McDonald’s McValue Menu: All the Details
According to CBS News, during the business’s third-quarter results call last year, CEO Chris Kempczinski admitted that the “value leadership gap has shrunk” and that the company has been concentrating on enhancing its savings offerings.
A range of meal discounts are offered under the new McValue menu, which is accessible at McDonald’s restaurants around the country.
Among these is the $5 Meal Deal that McDonald’s introduced last June, which includes four Chicken McNuggets, a small order of fries, a small soft drink, and a McChicken sandwich or a McDouble burger.
The McValue menu also features a new “Buy One, Add One for $1” offer, which lets customers choose between eight different breakfast, lunch, and dinner items like burgers, nuggets, and breakfast sandwiches. They can add an extra item from the McValue menu for just $1 when they purchase one full-priced item.
The new McValue platform will also provide local food and drink specials and exclusive offers via its mobile app. For instance, every Friday this year, guests who spend $1 get a medium order of fries for free. The company also offers a complimentary McCrispy chicken sandwich to new app users.
In order to introduce the new platform, McDonald’s has teamed up with actor and professional wrestler John Cena, describing him as “the perfect McValue ambassador.”
“I always talk about ‘earning my sunset’ and there’s nothing like heading to McDonald’s after completely crushing your day,” Cena said in a statement. “I’ll admit — it’s tough to choose between some of my favorites sometimes, but now I don’t have to. The fact that fans can mix and match with the new McValue menu to get great deals on the food they love is going to be an absolute game-changer.”
Additionally, according to the popular Instagram food blogger Snackolator, the company is bringing back its popular Strawberry & Creme Pie for dessert.
“These are rolling out now to replace the Holiday Pies and have popped up in a bunch of markets already and are one of the limited time favorites,” the food blogger wrote, adding that they’ve been added to the menu ahead of Valentine’s Day.
DEI Initiatives Being Discontinued
According to the Associated Press, despite these new menu additions, McDonald’s stated Monday, Jan. 6, that it will no longer meet specific goals for achieving diversity in senior leadership. It also intends to end a program that rewards its suppliers for developing diversity training and increasing the percentage of minority group members in leadership roles.
The fast-food restaurant giant partially blamed its decision on a U.S. Supreme Court decision that outlawed discriminatory action in college admissions.
McDonald’s also declared that it will stop conducting “external surveys.” The massive burger chain did not elaborate. However, several other companies, including Ford and Lowe’s, ceased participating in the Human Rights Campaign’s yearly poll measuring workplace inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees.
The Chicago-based fast-food giant launched a series of diversity initiatives in 2021 following a wave of sexual harassment complaints involving its employees and a discrimination lawsuit brought by former Black McDonald’s franchise owners.
Now, McDonald’s is the most recent major company to alter its tactics after the 2023 ruling and conservative pushback against diversity, equity, and inclusion measures. Many businesses, including Walmart, John Deere, and Harley-Davidson, withdrew their DEI initiatives last year.
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