The $5 Meal Deal, Revealed

McDonald's lifted the lid Thursday on its promised $5 Meal Deal. The limited-time offering is another fast-food attempt at bringing back customers unhappy with price increases, USA Today reports. The backlash had prompted Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald's USA, to criticize "viral social posts and poorly sourced reports that McDonald's has raised prices significantly beyond inflationary rates." Still, Erlinger said Thursday in a news release per CNN, "We heard our fans loud and clear—they're looking for even more great value from us, and this summer that's exactly what they'll get."

The $5 buys a customer a McDouble cheeseburger or a McChicken sandwich, small french fries, four chicken nuggets, and a small soft drink. The deal kicks off Tuesday. Neil Saunders of GlobalData told Axios that consumers prefer everyday low prices to short-term deals. "McDonald's $5 meal is sensible, but it will only be offered for a limited time so it will not resolve perceptions that the chain has become very expensive," he said. (Burger King had already rolled out its limited-time deal.)