{"id":15984,"date":"2024-04-10T00:03:39","date_gmt":"2024-04-10T00:03:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skybeaconnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/10\/mcdonalds-25-deal-goes-viral-users-blame-californias-minimum-wage-increase-your-new-normal\/"},"modified":"2026-01-30T00:40:29","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T00:40:29","slug":"mcdonalds-25-deal-goes-viral-users-blame-californias-minimum-wage-increase-your-new-normal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/skybeaconnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/10\/mcdonalds-25-deal-goes-viral-users-blame-californias-minimum-wage-increase-your-new-normal\/","title":{"rendered":"McDonald&#8217;s $25 &#8216;deal&#8217; goes viral; users blame California&#8217;s minimum-wage increase: &#8216;Your new normal&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> close     <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/skybeaconnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-4.jpg\" alt=\"McDonald\u2019s is set to debut a new spinoff restaurant called &#039;CosMc&#039;s&#039; in a Chicago suburb. (FOX 32)\"\/> video <\/p>\n<h2>McDonald&#039;s spinoff restaurant &#039;CosMc&#039;s&#039; to open in Chicago<\/h2>\n<p>McDonald\u2019s is set to debut a new spinoff restaurant called &#039;CosMc&#039;s&#039; in a Chicago suburb. (FOX 32)<\/p>\n<p>A viral social media video about a $25 McDonald&#039;s &quot;deal&quot; recently sparked an online debate about California&#039;s minimum-wage increase.<\/p>\n<p>A TikTok user who posts videos under the username @shannon_montipaya shared the video on March 27. She was in the drive-thru of a Southern California McDonald&#039;s location when she saw a sign for a 40-piece Chicken McNugget meal deal, which also included two large orders of fries.<\/p>\n<p>The price of the meal bundle was $25.39 \u2014 including sales tax, it would come to roughly $27. In the video, the social media user lamented that the meal didn&#039;t even include a drink.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;OK, so it&#039;s $25.39 for 40-piece nuggets and two large fries,&quot; she said. &quot;You couldn&#039;t even throw in the Sprite?<\/p>\n<p><strong>FIVE GUYS&#039; PRICES SPARK OUTRAGE AFTER $24 RECEIPT GOES VIRAL: &#039;HIGHWAY ROBBERY&#039;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/skybeaconnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/mcdonalds-inflation-1.png\" alt=\"Split image of McNuggets and man opening wallet\"\/> <\/p>\n<p>The price of the McDonald&#039;s meal bundle was $25.39 \u2014 including sales tax, it would come to roughly $27, no drink included. (iStock \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p>&quot;You couldn&#039;t even throw in, like, a medium Sprite in there? Holy crap.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>While the meal is designed to serve four people, it demonstrates how prices at the fast-food chain have risen over the years. A recent study by FinanceBuzz found that McDonald&#039;s prices have increased by 100% since 2014.<\/p>\n<p>Ten years ago, the average price of a 10-piece McNugget meal was $5.99. Now, the meal usually goes for $10.99.<\/p>\n<p>The video ended up amassing 2 million views, bringing thousands of TikTok users to its comments section \u2014 many of whom were nostalgic about past McDonald&#039;s prices.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Remember when 40 pieces nuggets was $5 and a large drink was $1,&quot; one comment read.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;The managers special used to be 40 nuggets, a gallon of tea, and a LG fry for like 20 dollars SMH,&quot; another said.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I spent $48 there yesterday\u2026my jaw on the floor,&quot; a third commenter wrote.<\/p>\n<p><strong>WHAT YOU SHOULD ORDER AT MCDONALD&#039;S, ACCORDING TO NUTRITIONISTS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/skybeaconnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/McDonalds-Sign.jpg\" alt=\"McDonalds Sign\"\/> <\/p>\n<p>Many TikTok users were nostalgic about the McDonald&#039;s prices of yore, before the price of McNuggets increased. (Brandon Bell \/ File \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p>Inevitably, some social media users pointed to the recent legislation in California that increased the minimum wage for fast-food workers from $16 to $20.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;20 minimum wage\u2026..welcome to your new normal,&quot; one person said.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Welcome to California,&quot; another chimed in.<\/p>\n<p>Other users shared their local McDonald&#039;s prices \u2014 and very few came close to being as high as California&#039;s.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;50 nuggets here is 15 [dollars],&quot; one Florida resident said.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;It\u2019s $6.19 in Dallas for a 20 piece and 2 large fries,&quot; a Texan wrote.<\/p>\n<p><strong>CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/skybeaconnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/iStock-1438452854.jpg\" alt=\"Woman budgeting at a desk\"\/> <\/p>\n<p>A TikTok user (not shown) was shocked when she saw that a McDonald&#039;s meal deal for 40 McNuggets and two small orders of fries was priced at nearly $26. (iStock)<\/p>\n<p>Some viewers thought the video was an overreaction and were unfazed by the price of the meal deal.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;12.50\/person isn\u2019t that crazy,&quot; a user wrote.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;You getting a good deal and you complaining,&quot; another said.<\/p>\n<p>While the wage increase went into effect on April 1 \u2014 four days after the TikTok video was posted \u2014 fast-food businesses in the Golden State had been bracing for the wage increase for months.<\/p>\n<p>MOD Pizza recently closed at least five California locations before the minimum-wage increase kicked in on April 1. Several California fast-food establishments, particularly pizza chains, have been laying off employees in recent months, The Wall Street Journal reported last month, including Pizza Hut and Round Table Pizza.<\/p>\n<p>A former MOD Pizza employee in Clovis told FOX 26 Fresno that it &quot;just kind of seemed like the right timing, two weeks before all of the fast-food locations in California got that increase that we closed.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/skybeaconnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Spicy-Chicken-McNuggets.jpg\" alt=\"Spicy Chicken McNuggets being dipped into sauce\"\/> <\/p>\n<p>Some TikTok users said a McNuggets meal costs far less at their McDonald&#039;s locations than at those in California. (McDonald&#039;s \/ Fox News)<\/p>\n<p>McDonald&#039;s USA told FOX Business that the FinanceBuzz report is &quot;not an accurate representation of pricing at McDonald&#039;s restaurants.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;As the [FinanceBuzz] report itself notes, pricing is set by individual franchisees and varies by restaurant,&quot; the statement read. &quot;This is not an accurate representation of historical or current pricing at McDonald&#039;s restaurants, and the 2024 average prices listed are significantly inflated.<\/p>\n<p><strong>GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&quot;Value is part of McDonald&#039;s DNA, and we&#039;re committed to offering customers great value through everyday affordable pricing plus special offers and deals on our App and through the MyMcDonald&#039;s Rewards program.&quot;<\/p>\n<p><strong>For more Lifestyle articles, visit foxbusiness.com\/lifestyle<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>close video McDonald&#039;s spinoff restaurant &#039;CosMc&#039;s&#039; to open in Chicago McDonald\u2019s is set to debut a new spinoff restaurant called &#039;CosMc&#039;s&#039; in a Chicago suburb. (FOX 32)<br \/>\n A viral social media video about a $25 McDonald&#039;s &#8220;deal&#8221; recently sparked an online debate about California&#039;s minimum-wage increase.<br \/>\n A TikTok user who posts videos under the username @shannon_montipaya shared the video on March 27. She was in the drive-thru of a Southern California McDonald&#039;s location when she saw a sign for a 40-piece Chicken McNugget meal deal, which also included two large orders of fries.<br \/>\nThe price of the meal bundle was $25.39 \u2014 including sales tax, it would come to roughly $27. In the video, the social media user lamented that the meal didn&#039;t even include a drink.<br \/>\n &#8220;OK, so it&#039;s $25.39 for 40-piece nuggets and two large fries,&#8221; she said. &#8220;You couldn&#039;t even throw in the Sprite?<br \/>\n FIVE GUYS&#039; PRICES SPARK OUTRAGE AFTER $24 RECEIPT..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":16120,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tie-business","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/skybeaconnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15984","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/skybeaconnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/skybeaconnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skybeaconnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skybeaconnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15984"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/skybeaconnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15984\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16126,"href":"https:\/\/skybeaconnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15984\/revisions\/16126"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skybeaconnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16120"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/skybeaconnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15984"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skybeaconnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15984"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skybeaconnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15984"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}