By Heather Haddon

McDonald's has a message for franchisees: Do more to keep meals affordable.

The burger giant told restaurant operators it will monitor their pricing decisions more closely to ensure the chain's costs are competitive across the globe. The company will suggest consultants to advise operators on prices, and assess the outcomes.

"While the U.S. has a proud legacy of delivering value to our customers, we still have opportunity to deliver more," Mason Smoot, chief restaurant officer for McDonald's U.S., said in a Monday messages to operators.

McDonald's has spent the last year seeking to reclaim its reputation for value after prices escalated following the pandemic. Franchisees, who generally set their own menu prices, raised them beginning in 2021 in response to escalating costs. More recently, McDonald's has offered cheaper combo meals and $5 meal deals in the U.S. to try to regain sales.

The chain's new standards for operators, which include restaurant upgrades, start Jan. 1. Franchisees run the bulk of McDonald's 44,600 restaurants, including 95% of the 13,600 U.S. locations.

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December 08, 2025 10:00 ET (15:00 GMT)

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