McDonald’s enthusiasts are expressing discontent following a social media post that revealed the cost of a hash brown has surged to nearly £2 at certain outlets.
The viral post featured a snapshot of a McDonald’s menu board, displaying the price of a hash brown as £1.99 in the specific restaurant visited by the individual.
Receiving over 459,000 views, the post was captioned: “£2 for a single hash brown. We are officially finished.”
Social media reactions ensued, with one person stating, “It’s becoming absurd; I seldom visit, but it used to be an affordable choice.” Another remarked, “For that price, you might as well get the sausage sandwich.” A third simply replied, “Insanity.”
Another contributor shared, “Those hash browns are the best thing they ever made. However, £2 is excessive.” While someone else reminisced, “I recall when they were 59p.”
Responding to the uproar, a McDonald’s spokesperson clarified: “A significant number of our restaurants are independently owned and operated by franchisees who determine their pricing.”
The controversy follows McDonald’s announcement of upcoming changes to its MyMcDonald’s Rewards program, where the points required for free items, including a Big Mac, Double Fillet of Fish, Double Sausage and Egg McMuffin, and Nine Chicken Nuggets, will increase from 5,500 to 6,500 points starting March 17. Customers earn 100 points for every £1 spent at McDonald’s.
Furthermore, the loyalty scheme adjustments were attributed to “escalating food and supply expenses,” as stated by a McDonald’s representative. Alongside the increase in points needed, new redemption options like Chicken Selects, Cheese sides, and the new Sausage Sandwich have been introduced to provide enhanced choices for customers.