A viral social media video a few $25 McDonald’s “deal” recently sparked an internet debate about California’s minimum wage increase.
A TikTok user who posts videos under the username @shannon_montipaya shared the video on Mar. 27.
She was within the drive-thru of a Southern California McDonald’s location when she saw an indication for a 40-piece Chicken McNugget meal deal, which also included two large fries.
The value of the meal bundle was $25.39 – including sales tax, it might come to roughly $27.
Within the video, the social media user lamented that the meal didn’t even include a drink.
“Okay, so it’s $25.39 for 40-piece nuggets and two large fries,” she said.
“You couldn’t even throw within the Sprite?”
“You couldn’t even throw in, like, a medium Sprite in there? Holy crap.”
While the meal is designed to serve 4 people, it demonstrates how prices on the fast food chain have risen through the years.
A recent study by FinanceBuzz found that McDonald’s prices have increased by 100% since 2014.
Ten years ago, the typical price of a 10-piece McNugget meal was $5.99 – now the meal normally goes for $10.99.
The video ended up amassing 2 million views, bringing hundreds of TikTok users to its comments section – a lot of whom were nostalgic about past McDonald’s prices.
A recent study by FinanceBuzz found that McDonald’s prices have increased by 100% since 2014. Getty Images
“Remember when 40 pieces nuggets was $5 and a big drink was $1,” one comment read.
“The managers special was 40 nuggets, a gallon of tea, and a LG fry for like 20 dollars SMH,” one other said.
“I spent $48 there yesterday…my jaw on the ground,” a 3rd commenter wrote.
Inevitably, some social media users pointed to the recent laws in California that increased the minimum wage for fast food employees from $16 to $20.
“20 minimum wage…..welcome to your latest normal,” one person said.
Ten years ago, the typical price of a 10-piece McNugget meal was $5.99 – now the meal normally goes for $10.99. NurPhoto via Getty Images
“Welcome to California,” one other chimed in.
Other users shared their local McDonald’s prices – and only a few got here near being as high as California’s.
“50 nuggets here is 15 [dollars],” one Florida resident said.
“It’s $6.19 in Dallas for a 20 piece and a pair of large fries,” a Texan wrote.
Some viewers thought that the video was an overreaction and were unfazed by the worth of the meal deal.
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“12.50/person isn’t that crazy,” a user wrote.
“You getting an excellent deal and also you complaining,” one other said.
While the wage increase went into effect on Apr. 1 – 4 days after the TikTok video was posted – fast food businesses within the Golden State had been bracing for the wage increase for months.
MOD Pizza recently closed not less than five California locations before the minimum wage increase kicked in on Apr. 1.
Several California fast food establishments, particularly pizza chains, have been shedding employees in recent months, the Wall Street Journal reported last month, including Pizza Hut and Round Table Pizza.
A former MOD Pizza worker in Clovis told FOX 26 Fresno that it “just sort of appeared like the precise timing, two weeks before all the fast food locations in California got that increase that we closed.”
Fox Business reached out to McDonald’s for comment.
