McDonald's Traffic Falls

What happened

Updated Nov 4, 5:34pm ET

McDonald’s U.S. restaurant traffic fell in the third quarter, and the chain is pursuing cheaper menu options and new value bundles to attract customers.
Sales at U.S. locations open at least a year fell 0.2% from July through September, their first decline since early 2025.
CEO Chris Kempczinski said pressure from living costs was not going away and that McDonald’s needed to deliver value.
Restored app deals and more advertising for value meals helped U.S. same-store sales return to growth in September and October, the company said.
McDonald’s is testing affordable meal bundles at about 1,900 U.S. restaurants, with a national launch planned for early 2027.

How the left told it

Left-leaning outlets had only one article: the Los Angeles Times framed falling visits around customers’ cost-of-living struggles. It highlighted higher gas prices, a broader fast-food traffic decline and Kempczinski’s warning that “the pressure around cost of living isn’t going away.”

How the right told it

Right-leaning outlets broadly focused on weaker customer traffic and efforts to win diners back with value deals. Breitbart emphasized living-cost pressures, while the New York Post highlighted improving sales and franchisee tensions; the Epoch Times detailed bundle tests and the sales recovery following restored app promotions.