‘Value meals don’t feel like a great value’: Ursula wants lower prices as McDonald’s unveils new menu, AI drive-thru

McDonald’s is betting $8.5 billion over the next decade to overhaul its restaurants worldwide, and while KIRO host Gee Scott thinks it’s the right call, KIRO host Ursula Reutin thinks they’re spending on the wrong thing.

The fast-food giant unveiled its McDonald’s NEXT strategy at an investor day Wednesday, including an AI drive-thru system called Archie that takes orders in English and Spanish, order lockers for delivery and app pickups, bigger play areas, and new staff training focused on food quality and friendlier interactions, according to USA Today. The company said Archie could free up at least 50 hours of labor per week at a typical restaurant, allowing employees to spend more time with customers.

“I think the company should spend this money on bringing down the prices,” Ursula said on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio. “A trip to McDonald’s should not cost the equivalent of what it used to cost to have a family of four eat at Red Robin. McDonald’s value meals don’t feel like a great value.”

Gee agreed the prices need to come down but said the bigger picture made the investment smart.

“Go back to the $0.99 double cheeseburger. Go back to real dollar menus,” Gee said. “But that’s gone.”

The overhaul extends to the menu. McDonald’s is exploring protein bowls, grilled chicken sandwiches and wraps, and egg bites across breakfast, lunch, and dinner, partly in response to the growing adoption of GLP-1 weight loss drugs, according to CNBC. U.S. restaurants will also begin piloting hand-breaded chicken, a technique competitors like Chick-fil-A and Popeyes have long used. The company is also expanding its drink lineup with refreshers, crafted sodas, energy drinks, and new espresso machines with alternative milk options.

McDonald’s is still the default

Gee argued that McDonald’s holds a position no other fast-food chain does.

“Right now, McDonald’s is still probably the number one default fast-food restaurant in the country,” he said.

He said the company is being smart about where eating habits are headed, particularly the push toward more protein-friendly menus and planning for what customers will want in five-plus years. And while the AI drive-thru might draw eye rolls, Gee said it addresses something customers already complain about.

“We can sit here and roll our eyes at AI and Archie and all that, but let’s be real, we still right now are complaining if it takes five minutes to get our fast-food order,” he said.

Ursula conceded the point.

“I will say the one thing about McDonald’s is it is still pretty darn quick,” she said.

Then Gee said the quiet part out loud.

“McDonald’s is still good,” he said. “Y’all can be mad at me all you want. McDonald’s is good.”

“It serves its purpose,” Ursula responded. “It’s just more expensive.”

Play areas and lockers could bring people back inside

KIRO producer Andrew Lanier said the investment in play areas alone would get his family through the door more often.

“As someone with kids, especially here in the Pacific Northwest, I’ve had to look online for McDonald’s that have a PlayPlace because in November sometimes I just need to take the kids inside somewhere,” he said.

Andrew added that McDonald’s has an advantage most competitors don’t — there are always enough employees visible to actually help you. He said he avoids places like Burger King where “there’s one person in the front and one in the back.”

Gee pointed to the order lockers as the next evolution, comparing it to Starbucks’ mobile ordering model.

“Ursula is driving through. I don’t really have time to stop, but boom, I want my McDonald’s hot and ready, boom, I come in, boom, grab it,” he said.

Ursula said listeners who aren’t using the McDonald’s app are leaving money on the table. A listener texted the show saying he got a double cheeseburger, four-piece nuggets, small fries, and a drink for $6.

“Now, that’s a value,” Ursula said. “I can’t say it’s all expensive. You have to pick certain things, and they just happen to be the things that I don’t like.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.