McDonald’s, Quick, Burger King, KFC… How fast-food chains manage to offer menus for 5 euros

“These are the McDonald’s prices from before,” marvels Charles, a thirty-year-old from Rennes, about the McDonald’s “McDeal” menu, relaunched a few months ago: a burger of your choice, a small fries, a drink and a dessert, all for five euros. A price that contrasts with the prices usually charged by the fast food chain.

It was its competitor Quick which relaunched this price war in 2023, to which McDonald's, Burger King and even KFC responded, by offering, each in turn, low-price offers since then. But this strategy has a certain cost for these companies, which raises the question of the economic model behind it.