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Here are 8 restaurant chains currently offering deals on their food
Americans have become inflation-fatigued after dealing with month after month of rising food prices, including at fast-food establishments and sit-down restaurants.
Some consumers have become so irked by price increases that they’ve stopped visiting the drive-thru altogether. But food giants like Burger King, McDonald’s and Wendy’s have taken notice, with many launching value meal deals this year in hopes of drawing in more customers.
One of the first to serve up a promo, McDonald’s in June offered a $5 value meal in response to customer criticism of menu price hikes. The promo, which began June 25 and ended last week, according to the fast-food chain, included a choice of McChicken sandwich, McDouble hamburger or four-piece chicken nuggets, plus small fries and a small drink.
Here’s a list of food promos currently being offered by popular restaurant chains:
Burger King
In June, the home of the Whopper began offering a $5 meal to compete with McDonald’s. The $5 meal offers customers a choice of one of three sandwiches along with chicken nuggets, fries and a drink. The burger chain didn’t give an exact time frame for the offer, but said the $5 meal would begin on a trial basis.
Chili’s
Chili’s added a chicken sandwich and cheeseburger to its pre-existing lower-priced menu in April. The restaurant chain said customers can order either of those items, plus fries and a drink, for $10.99 from its 3 for Me menu. Chili’s first launched 3 for Me in 2022.
Denny’s
The restaurant that gave America the Grand Slam breakfast revived its $5.99 All-Day Diner Deals in April. The deal offers customers a choice of quarter-pound cheeseburger, country fried steak, scrambled eggs and cheddar or all-you-can-eat pancakes. Denny’s hasn’t revealed if or when the promo will end.
IHOP
Speaking of all-you-can-eat flapjacks, the pancake restaurant chain IHOP is offering all-you-can-eat pancakes for $5 until September 15. The promotion is for dine-in customers at U.S.-based locations only. Customers who choose to partake in the promotion will get a full stack of five buttermilk pancakes to begin with, followed by additional flapjacks served two at a time, on an as-requested basis.
KFC
KFC began offering its Taste of KFC Deals in April. One of the meals includes two pieces of chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy and a biscuit for $4.99. Another value meal, offered on Tuesdays, entails a bucket of eight pieces of chicken for $10. KFC said both promos will last until the end of 2024.
Starbucks
In June, Starbucks launched its “pairings” menu, which allows customers to buy a tall-sized hot or iced coffee or tea and a croissant for $5. Under the deal customers can also get a tall-sized coffee or tea with a breakfast sandwich at $6 or $7, depending on the sandwich. Starbucks hasn’t revealed when the pairings menu deal will end.
Taco Bell
Last month, Taco Bell introduced its $7 Luxe Cravings Box. The meal includes a Chalupa Supreme, a Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, a Double Stacked Taco, chips and nacho cheese sauce and a medium drink. The Yum Brands-owned chain said Luxe Cravings is a temporary promotion but didn’t say when the deal would end.
Wendy’s
In May, Wendy’s began offering customers a $3 breakfast combo deal that includes an egg and cheese English muffin sandwich with bacon or sausage, and a small side of seasoned potatoes. Breakfast hours begin between 6:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. local time, depending on the restaurant, according to the Wendy’s website. Breakfast ends at 10:30 a.m. at the latest.
Tupperware and some of its subsidiaries filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the once-iconic food container maker said in a statement late Tuesday.
The company has suffered from dwindling sales following a surprise surge during the COVID-19 pandemic, when legions of people stuck at home tried their hands at cooking, which increased demand for Tupperware’s colorful plastic containers with flexible airtight seals.
A post-pandemic rise in costs of raw materials and shipping, along with higher wages, also hurt Tupperware’s bottom line.
Last year, it warned of “substantial doubt” about its ability to keep operating in light of its poor financial position.
“Over the last several years, the Company’s financial position has been severely impacted by the challenging macroeconomic environment,” president and CEO Laurie Ann Goldman said in a statement announcing the bankruptcy filing.
“As a result, we explored numerous strategic options and determined this is the best path forward,” Goldman said.
The company said it would seek court approval for a sale process for the business to protect its brand and “further advance Tupperware’s transformation into a digital-first, technology-led company.”
The Orlando, Florida-based firm said it would also seek approval to continue operating during the bankruptcy proceedings and would continue to pay its employees and suppliers.
“We plan to continue serving our valued customers with the high-quality products they love and trust throughout this process,” Goldman said.
The firm’s shares were trading at $0.5099 Monday, well down from $2.55 in December last year.
Tupperware said it had implemented a strategic plan to modernize its operations and drive efficiencies to ignite growth following the appointment of a new management team last year.
“The Company has made significant progress and intends to continue this important transformation work.”
In its filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, Tupperware listed assets of between $500 million and $1 billion and liabilities of between $1 billion and $10 billion.
The filing also said it had between 50,000 and 100,000 creditors.
Tupperware lost popularity with consumers in recent years and an initiative to gain distribution through big-box chain Target failed to reverse its fortunes.
The company’s roots date to 1946, when chemist Earl Tupper “had a spark of inspiration while creating molds at a plastics factory shortly after the Great Depression,” according to Tupperware’s website.
“If he could design an airtight seal for plastic storage containers, like those on a paint can, he could help war-weary families save money on costly food waste.”
Over time, Tupper’s containers became popular that many people referred to any plastic food container as Tupperware. And people even threw “Tupperware parties” in their homes to sell the containers to friends and neighbors.
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