Wendy’s Takes Aim At McDonald’s Broken McFlurry Machines With A $1 Frosty

McDonald’s has become known for its broken ice cream machines; there is even an independent website that tracks broken McFlurry machines. So Wendy’s is taking advantage.

Wendy’s is offering small-sized, $1 Frosty frozen dairy treats until September 30 — and it’s cooperating with McBroken, which tracks which McDonald’s stores have broken ice cream equipment.

The temporary price decrease may also draw value-seeking customers who are eating out less frequently and spending less when they do, slowing fast food sales and reducing restaurant visitation.

Wendy’s Takes Aim At McDonald’s Broken McFlurry Machines With A $1 Frosty

Wendy’s Frosty “has been the go-to sweet treat fix when fans’ cravings strike, while the ice cream machines at the other guys are offline — often for two to three hours at a time,” the chain claimed in a release, without mentioning McDonald’s directly.

McBroken’s data shows that about 15% of McDonald’s ice cream machines are broken as of Thursday. The most common time they are inaccessible is between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., with Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, New York, and Los Angeles among the most affected cities.

Wendy’s put the locations of its restaurants, as represented by its logo, to the McBroken map to show fans where to get a “reliable and delicious option.” There is also an ad at the top of the website promoting the $1 Frosty Special.

Rashiq Zahid founded McBroken a few years ago, after becoming dissatisfied with McDonald’s lack of operating ice cream machines. He previously told CNN that it works by combining data from the McDonald’s iOS and Android apps.

If the ice cream machine is not operational, the McDonald’s app will remove the ice cream order from the cart, he explained. When this occurs, a red dot shows on the mcbroken.com map, signifying unavailability in that area.

Wendy’s Takes Aim At McDonald’s Broken McFlurry Machines With A $1 Frosty

In response, McDonald’s previously told CNN, “it is exciting to see customer passion translate into customer-innovated solutions to further make that experience a reality.”

The cold dessert rivalry between Wendy’s and McDonald’s has heated up in recent years. Wendy’s has started adding limited-time flavors, like as pumpkin spice and peppermint, to increase the appeal of the Frosty. McDonald’s frequently pushes new flavours for its McFlurry, but recently added a smaller variant as customers continue to look for bargain.

SOURCE | AP