Woebegone Wednesday McDonald's remains its own arch enemy when it comes to messaging. CEO Chris Kempczinski went on camera recently to introduce the chain's vaunted new Big Arch burger to their social media audience. In that video, he takes such a timid, tiny bite of the burger that top executives from Burger King and Wendy’s made similar social media spots taking huge enthusiastic bites of their signature burgers. Kempczinski went to Wall Street Journal for damage control, doing an interview with them explaining that his pathetic show of burger-love was his mommy's fault because she taught him "not to talk with my mouth full." He also tried to explain that McD was adjusting to "a new world of marketing" where corporations no longer have total control of their messaging. We aren't biting.
McDonald’s is still trying to come back from COVID-era price hikes that turned off their value customers. Yet their new Big Arch burger sells for $7.46 in Columbia, South Carolina, but for $12.99 in Lewiston, Maine. That is for the burger alone.
This is why Chili's is stealing market share from McD with their $10.99 "Best Meal Deal" including a half-pound burger with fries, a bottomless appetizer and a drink with free refills.
Deals today • The False Nine Social Club (206 Fifth St., Valley Junction) has hamburgers for $7 on Wednesdays. • B&B Grocery, Meat and Deli (2001 S.E. Sixth St., Des Moines) has a Philly cheesesteak on special today. • Crouse Cafe (115 E. Salem, Indianola) offers smoked pork chops as today's special. • Waveland Cafe (4708 University Ave., Des Moines) offers a wiener Wednesday special today. • Today is fried chicken day at Sale Barn Cafe (Lamoni). • Wednesdays are Chicago Italian beef sandwich day at Graziano Brothers (1601 S. Union St., Des Moines). • AJ's (Prairie Meadows) has a new early bird menu on Wednesday and Thursday from 4-6 p.m. Half-pound burgers with frites $15, pasta and chicken dinners, $20-22, seafood and steak dinners $27-30. Prime rib dinners for $30 all night. • Hy-Vees offer chicken and noodles dinners for $5 on Wednesdays. • Clyde's Fine Diner (111 E. Grand Ave., East Village) has a four-course tasting menu tonight for $125. • Guesthouse Tavern and Oyster (9500 University, West Des Moine) offers Walleye Wednesday with dinners $21. • Jack’s Place (6112 S.W. Ninth, Des Moines) has 10 wings for $10 Wednesdays. • Wednesday at Short E's BBQ (8805 Chambray Blvd., Johnston) the lunch special is tacos and taco salads and Wednesday evening is rib night. • Fareway is offering $5 rotisserie chicken on Wednesdays. Other days they cost about $9. • Whatcha Smokin? (Highway 17, Luther) has a brisket burnt ends special on Wednesdays. • Kelly's Little Nipper (1701 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines) offers any burger with a side for $10 on Wednesdays. • Exile (1514 Walnut St., Des Moines) offers a $12 burger basket with fries and a beer on Wednesdays. • Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines) offers $8 French toast or pancake breakfasts and $2 tacos, $9 wraps and $10 half pounds of wings on Wednesdays. • Johnny's Italian Steakhouses have a chicken Madeira special on Wednesdays before 4 p.m., $15 including beverage. • Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road, Des Moines) offers 10 wings for $10 on Wednesdays and steak night, too. • Smoking Goat Pub (3015 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines) has a $10 classic burger and beer all day. • Paula's (524 Elm, Valley Junction) has a Wednesday special beef stew with biscuit, $13.50. • Gilroy's (1238 Eighth St., West Des Moines) has all you can eat fried chicken dinners on Wednesdays, $23.99 after 5 p.m. • Wednesdays bring steak night to Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road, Des Moines). Steaks are cooked to order with salad, potato and bread, $14.99. • Angry Goldfish (2301 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) offers hot beef sandwiches with mashed potatoes and gravy for $11.50 on Wednesday. It's also hot beef sandwich day at Chicago Speakeasy (1520 Euclid Ave.) where the gravy is made with pan drippings. • Wine bottles are half price on Wednesdays at Trostel's Greenbriar (5910 Merle Hay Road, Johnston), Table 128 (220 S.W. Ninth, Des Moines) and The Continental (407 E. Fifth St., Des Moines). • G Mig's (128 Fifth St., Valley Junction) offers a Wednesday special perciatelli pasta with prosciutto, sundried tomatoes, zucchini, basil, white wine, cream and romano cheese, plus salad and garlic bread for $19.25. • Barntown's (9500 S.E. University Ave., West Des Moines) Wednesday specials are a pound of chicken tenders with fries and two sauces for $11.99, plus $13 core pitchers of beer. • Wednesday is Biryani Festival at Chowrastha (5910 Ashworth Road, West Des Moines). Buy two and a third is free. • Tacos Mariana's (1305 University Ave., Des Moines) and The Station (3124 Ingersoll, Des Moines) have specials on tacos today. • Village Inns offer free pie with entrees on Wednesdays. • It's lasagna day at Maxie's Supper Club (1311 Grand Ave., West Des Moines) and breaded pork tenderloin day at Eastside Eddie's (3517 E. 26th St., Des Moines). • Chuck's (3610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines) offers $5 off pizza on Wednesdays. • Kwik Stars' Wednesday special is eight pieces of fried chicken for $10. Their fried chicken is ridiculously good for a convenience store. • On Wednesdays, flatbreads are $10 at Tito's Lounge (3916 N.W. Urbandale Drive, Urbandale). • Jethro's have $9.95 breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches, including a side of choice, on Wednesdays. • The Station on Ingersoll (3124 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines) has a Wednesday day special of chopped cheeseburger with a side for $12.
• Price Choppers have sales through Monday on strawberries at $1.99/pound and Nathan's hot dogs at $4.39/pack. — Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com |