Wendy’s planning Uber-style ‘surge pricing’ where burger prices fluctuate based on demand

[chargervert]

Radio this morning said CEO "explained" that they were not planning to use it to jack up prices during lunch and dinner, but in fact to lower prices during off peak hours.

I'll believe that when I see it. I'm an early lunch guy and usually go between 10:30 and 11:00.

Regardless, it's a gateway for peak increases as it's going to be hard to tell after the first across the board increases.

We should have seen this coming. My bet is anything that can move to this will.

...and also they are figuring out ways to charge us for not buying things.

2 years ago, I was told it would cost $35 a month to continue to receive a paper bill and send a check for my shop dumpster.

2 months after agreeing to use "auto pay", in order to save that $35, they raised the price $26 without notice.

That's total BS,he is covering his azz now the the truth is out! So many companies are lowering prices these days.......NOT!

 

[Richard Cranium]

Radio this morning said CEO "explained" that they were not planning to use it to jack up prices during lunch and dinner, but in fact to lower prices during off peak hours.

And the proper response to that is .....

 

[68BabyBlue]

Agreed! Very rarely do we go out to any fast food places for lunch any more. For Christmas, birthdays and Mother's & Father's Day, we ask the kids only to get us gift cards to the Longhorn & a couple other local restaurants. They have often have said that they want to get us something other than that, but we tell them not to. An average dinner for us at the Longhorn is about 50-55 bucks & with the gift card all it costs me is a few bucks plus the tip, which I always leave in cash. On our upcoming drive to Florida & back we'll pack a cooler with enough food for breakfast & lunch and make sandwiches at a rest stop & just have dinner someplace. Eating out three times a day for 2+ weeks, besides being costly, wears thin after a couple of days.

Driving a truck for 25 years, I got enough experience eating on the road to last several lifetimes. My measure of a good day at work was having things go well enough that I had time to stop at one of the mom and pop diners on my routes for a hot mid day meal. My favorite place was founded in 1957, and is still run by the grandson of the original owner. Awesome home made soups, high quality local meat, friendly staff with zero turnover. Places like this are getting as scarce as old school truck drivers. Like myself, most of the guys who stopped there were in their 60s.

On days where I ran out the clock, and couldn't stop at the diner, I ate fish out of a can, and packaged crackers and peanut butter. Not an appealing combo, but still better than fast food options, in my opinion.

 

[YY1]

I generally agree, but...

Fast food and "service" food in general is an extremely high mark up business.
If lower prices during off-peak hours resulted in both increased off-peak sales and more balanced capacity/efficiency during peak, it could be a win/win and if the off-peak sales were a substantial increase, could be a windfall.

I shudder to think what the actual cost of that $1.29 beef and bean burrito is and what kind of quality supports that cost.

 

[YY1]

We got a somewhat local one location burger joint that has the best burger I've ever had.

They sell so many during lunch that they are not even open for dinner.

 

[gtx6970]

That means no more Wendys for me.

Fast food places are already stupid money for what you get.

Wife and I ate at Micky Ds a few weeks back, Was almost $30


I can eat in an actual sit down restaurant with someone waiting on me for not much more than that . And its A LOT better meal

 

[WileE]

They're going to need it in order to afford to take that family out to dinner.

Starting in April, fast food workers in California will be paid 20 bucks an hour. Think what that will do to the price of fast food there.

Obviously my comment was facetious. The ridiculous argument by the "crowd" that promotes this min-wage issue, is they should earn a "living" wage. For who ???

 

[chargervert]

There is a local restaurant chain that sells cafeteria style chicken dinners called Boston Market. They used to give you a half chicken dinner with two hot sides and a drink for 10 bucks. The last time I went in there with my wife it cost 40 bucks for two of the dinners that used to be 10 bucks a piece, and my wife only got a water to drink. A few weeks later the location closed and now it has for rent signs in the windows. I guess people stopped going there after the doubled they prices of the food. They used to do a real good business there,you always had to wait in line,sometimes the line was even out the door.

 

[WileE]

That means no more Wendys for me.

Fast food places are already stupid money for what you get.

Wife and I ate at Micky Ds a few weeks back, Was almost $30


I can eat in an actual sit down restaurant with someone waiting on me for not much more than that . And its A LOT better meal

I can't recall the last time I had McD, decades ago. Past few years maybe Wendy's a couple times. I do confess, once in a blue moon, to go thru White Castle and exercise my senior discount for a few little gutburgers

 

[chargervert]

I have sworn off McDonald's. A couple of months ago my wife insisted on going there,we waited twenty effing minutes in the drive through for cold chicken Mc Aggits!

 

[YY1]

When i did the pickup it showed 56.00 for the ride. It was an $88.00 ride due to surge pricing.

What does that mean? if you were shown a $56 price, the fare should have been $56.

If it changed during the ride, I'd get out moving or not.

If it didn't change until the ride was complete, I'd pay the $56 and let a dispute ensue.


I honestly don't get the whole uber "thing".

Apparently most people seem to be in love with it.

I am not.

 

[WileE]

There is a local restaurant chain that sells cafeteria style chicken dinners called Boston Market. They used to give you a half chicken dinner with two hot sides and a drink for 10 bucks. The last time I went in there with my wife it cost 40 bucks for two of the dinners that used to be 10 bucks a piece, and my wife only got a water to drink. A few weeks later the location closed and now it has for rent signs in the windows. I guess people stopped going there after the doubled they prices of the food. They used to do a real good business there,you always had to wait in line,sometimes the line was even out the door.

Yep. Had one in the area, food was decent for the buck. Same thing... jacked up prices and now it's kaput.

 

[RemCharger]

And the proper response to that is .....


View attachment 1617507

....Time to start gambling?

 

[MarPar]

They also have seasonal Walleye.
Haven't had it yet, but I'm supposed to go tonight.

It's pretty good actually. It's not the same as if you pulled it out of the lake yerself, but decent nonetheless.

 

[YY1]

Walleye used to be a big deal in OH.

Not so much in FL.

...but if they are trucking it in...I'm in!

 

[SlingLow]

I've never eaten a fast-food burger in my life. Wouldn't eat them as a picky kid or as a discerning adult. If I could prove it, I could probably get into the Guiness Book of Records. I might get something at a fast-food joint once a year (like Wendys chili) just to remind myself how crappy that food really is. My wife and I both cook WAY better food!

 

[MarPar]

I've never eaten a fast-food burger in my life. Wouldn't eat them as a picky kid or as a discerning adult. If I could prove it, I could probably get into the Guiness Book of Records. I might get something at a fast-food joint once a year (like Wendys chili) just to remind myself how crappy that food really is. My wife and I both cook WAY better food!

 

[Hey-O]

Walleye used to be a big deal in OH.

Not so much in FL.

...but if they are trucking it in...I'm in!

They've managed to raise mercury levels to the point that they now brag that deeper fish for fish oil is safer and yes, more expensive. How do I know if they are from deeper waters.

 

[stage3]

i dont/wont do business with anybody who charges on a sliding scale..and thats what this is.

 

[SlingLow]

i dont/wont do business with anybody who charges on a sliding scale..and thats what this is.

I quit using Lyft for this reason. My mother-in-law lives in a condo that my wife and I own on the Washington side of the Columbia River, directly across from Portland International Airport. When we flew somewhere for a week or more, we would park our car there and get a Lyft to the airport for about $15 and avoid the long-term parking hassle and fees. One time when we returned home, the Lyft ride came up at $75 for the 6 mile ride back to the condo. Next attempt was $56. I think we locked in at $35. They told us it was demand related, but my assessment is that they decided to gouge people returning home that were relying on their service. I'm not going to be held hostage when I need a ride so I haven't used them since.