Value menu

A value menu 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 $1.49. They are offered together at a lower price than they would cost individually. Value meals are a common merchandising tactic to facilitate bundling, up-selling, and price discrimination. The perceived creation of a "discount" on individual menu items in exchange for the purchase of a "meal" is also consistent with the Loyalty Marketing school of thought.[1] Additionally, the term is based on value theory, which utilizes certain marketing tactics to encourage people to spend more money than they originally intended on their purchase.

The portion size, and/or number of items included with the food, are usually but not always related to the price.

Contents

United States

Arby's

Arby's announced the launch of their value menu on April 9, 2010.[2] 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.[3]

Burger King

Burger King added a value menu in 1998 with items priced at 99¢ (USD).[4] In 2002[5] and 2006, BK revamped its value menu, adding and removing products at 99¢, and later increasing some prices to $1.39.[6] Many of these items have since been discontinued, modified or relegated to a regional menu option.[7]

McDonald's

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.[10]

Taco Bell

In 1988, Taco Bell lowered the prices of all new items and launched the first three-tiered pricing strategy and free drink refills.[11] 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. [12]

Wendy's

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.[13][14][15]

References

  1. ^ Super-sizing, value meals, and customer loyalty
  2. ^ Arby's (April 9, 2010). "ARBY’S LAUNCHES NATIONAL VALUE MENU STARTING AT $1" (Press release). http://www.arbys.com/admin_upload/press_rlse/Value%20Menu%20National%20Release%204910FINAL.pdf. Retrieved 2011-04-13. 
  3. ^ >arbys.com. "New Arbys's Value Menu". arbys.com. http://www.arbys.com/menu/. Retrieved 2011-04-13. 
  4. ^ Burger King (March 16, 1998). "Burger King Debuts New 99¢ 'Great Tastes' Menu" (Press release). PR Newswire. http://www2.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/3-16-98/435564&EDATE=. Retrieved 2010-04-04. 
  5. ^ "Burger King promotes new menu". South Florida Business Journal. August 12, 2002. http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2002/09/09/daily63.html. Retrieved 2007-10-09. 
  6. ^ Burger King (February 28, 2006). "Burger King Introduces Value Menu" (Press release). Media Post. http://www.mediapost.com/publications/index.cfm?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=40366. Retrieved 2010-04-04. 
  7. ^ BKC publication (July 2007). "US Regional Menu Nutritional Brochure" (PDF). Burger King Holdings. http://www.bk.com/Nutrition/PDFs/regional_menu.pdf. Retrieved 2007-10-24. 
  8. ^ Richard Martin (January 7, 1991). "McDonald's kicks off value menu blitz". Nation's Restaurant News. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_n1_v25/ai_9328004/. Retrieved 2010-04-04. 
  9. ^ "McDonald's Continues Dollar Menu Brand Campaign With Bilingual Spots[...]" (Press release). Business Wire. June 12, 2002. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-87117044.html. Retrieved 2010-04-04. 
  10. ^ "McDonald's Spices Up Dollar Menu Price Attack.". Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. November 27, 2002. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-94875321.html. Retrieved 2010-04-04. 
  11. ^ "Our Company: History". tacobell.com. http://www.tacobell.com/company/. Retrieved 2007-02-05. 
  12. ^ "Taco Bell - $2 Meal Deals". tacobell.com. http://www.tacobell.com/company/newsreleasearticle/two-dollar-meal-deal. Retrieved 2011-12-05. 
  13. ^ wendys.com (February 5,2007). "About Us: The Wendy's Story". wendys.com. http://www.wendys.com/about_us/story.jsp. Retrieved 2007-02-05. 
  14. ^ Stuart Elliot (February 6, 2006). "Wendy's Returns 99¢ to Its Place on the Price Pedestal". nytimes.com. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/06/business/media/06adco.html?ei=5088&en=db0652bc7a82f9e8&ex=1294203600&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=all. Retrieved 2007-02-05. 
  15. ^ York, Emily Bryson (April 7, 2008). "Value menu battleground". Crain's Chicago Business (Crain Communication, Inc.). http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/article.pl?article_id=29608. 

External links