MCD is so competitive at breakfast it’s tough to imagine that a typical McDonald's store can support more customers during that day-part (you can only get so many people through a drive-thru). The major QSR competitors don't have a competitive breakfast offering and those competitors who serve breakfast don't have a drive-thru that's competitive.
It looks increasingly like MCD will be rolling out a nationwide $1 menu at breakfast. The first test market for the new $1 menu was Chicago.
Today, Dunkin' Donuts is debuting a new 99-cent menu at 500 Chicago locations and handing out 20,000 cards pre-loaded with $2 each.
The 99-cent menu includes a sausage, egg and cheese wrap; bacon, egg and cheese wrap; egg and cheese wrap; raspberry Danish; hash browns; and a pack of five Munchkins. As part of its 99-cent menu, Dunkin' is offering a new wrap -- a sausage version -- available only in Chicago.
According to the company, the 99-cent menu at Dunkin' will only last through Dec. 26, but the reality is that it will be a permanent fixture on the menu.
Extreme discounting is now moving to the most profitable part of the day.