Overview
- Reporting published Sept. 29–30 reviewed screenshots of a pricing portal that uses machine-learning models and millions of transactions to generate restaurant-level “optimal price” recommendations.
- The tool labels outlets with sensitivity scores such as “MEDIUM SENSITIVITY to Price” and explicitly includes estimates of local customer willingness to pay.
- Franchisees retain formal price-setting authority, but multiple owners said they felt pressure to follow recommendations and McDonald’s records stores that deviate from suggested prices.
- Independent checks found visible price gaps at nearby locations, including Big Mac differences of roughly $1 to $1.20 in Fresno, California, that customers noticed on the company app.
- The platform pulls competitor menu data and is run with outside analytics help; its use raises antitrust and consumer-fairness questions and could trigger further regulatory and legal scrutiny.