A value menu (not to be confused with a value meal) is a group of menu items at a fast food restaurant that are designed to be the least expensive items available. In the US, the items are usually priced between $0.99 and $2.99. The portion size, and number of items included with the food, are typically related to the price.
Arby's announced the launch of their value menu on April 9, 2010.[1] Items on the value menu vary based on location, but typically include small or value size roast beef sandwiches, curly fries, milkshakes, chicken sandwiches, ham and cheddar sandwiches, and turnovers.[2]
Burger King added a value menu in 1998 with items priced at 99¢ (USD),[3] equivalent to $1.78 in 2022. In 2002[4] and 2006, BK revamped its value menu, adding and removing products at 99¢, and later increasing some prices to $1.39.[5] Many of these items have since been discontinued, modified or relegated to a regional menu option.[6] The Burger King Whopper was the very first 99 cent burger and it revolutionized the 99 cent menu in the fast food industry.[7]
After numerous attempts beginning in 1991,[8] experimenting with a variety of menus and pricing strategies,[9] McDonald's launched its first national value menu, the Dollar Menu, in late 2002 in the United States.[10]
The latest iteration was rolled out on January 4, 2018 in the United States. It features a dozen items at various price points: $1, $2 and $3, with four items per price point.[11] It no longer featured fries, which was criticized by Good Mythical Morning along with only a few items at the $1 price point.[12] In Canada, fries are available for CA$1.59 on the Value Picks menu.[13]
| McDonald's Dollar Menu (United States) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price point | Items | |||
| $1 | Cheeseburger | McChicken | Sausage Burrito | Soft Drink |
| $2 | Bacon McDouble | Buttermilk Crispy Tenders (x2) | Sausage McGriddles | Small McCafé |
| $3 | Triple Cheeseburger | Classic Chicken Sandwich | Sausage McMuffin with Egg | Happy Meal |
| McDonald's Summer Value Menu 2020 (Canada)[14] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price point | Items | |||
| $1 | Any Size Soft Drink | Medium Iced Coffee | Vanilla Cone | Cookie |
| $2 | Small Real Fruit Smoothie | Small Iced Frappé | Medium Slushie | Sundae |
| $3 (retired) | ||||
|
Main article: Subway $5 footlong promotion |
Subway offered a $4.99 footlong menu in the United States. The promotion began in 2004 as a $5 footlong menu (equivalent to $7.75 in 2022).
In 1988, Taco Bell lowered the prices of all new items and launched the first three-tiered pricing strategy and free drink refills.[15] In 2010, Taco Bell introduced the $2 Meal Deals menu, featuring a menu item (i.e., a chicken burrito, a beefy 5-layer burrito, a double decker taco, or a Gordita supreme), a bag of Doritos, and a medium drink.[16] On August 18, 2014, Taco Bell launched a new value menu called Dollar Cravings that included eleven food items each priced a $1.[17][18][19][20]
On December 15, 2017, Taco Bell launched an advertising campaign called "The Belluminati" to advertise its Dollar Cravings menu.[21]
Wendy's is generally credited with being the first fast food chain to offer a value menu in October 1989, with every item priced at $0.99 (equivalent to $2.34 in 2022).[22][23][24] However, the general price for value menu items is now around $1.55.
