# McDonald’s tests two value-bundle formats

> Source: https://qsr.pro/articles/mcdonalds-entry-level-value-bundle-test
> Publisher: QSR Pro
> Last content update: 2026-11-05T13:00:57.472005+00:00


Franchisees keep pricing authority. Added sales must cover restaurant costs and franchise payments before they improve owners’ earnings.

Published: 2026-11-05T13:00:57.472005+00:00

By QSR Pro Staff

![McDonald’s tests two value-bundle formats](https://gadzwjyojqpwmxtgebnh.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/article-images/mcd-value-bundle-structures-071893344f11.webp)

*AI-generated illustration: QSR.pro. Conceptual bundle structures.*

McDonald’s is testing two entry-level bundle formats at about 1,900 U.S. restaurants throughout the day, CEO Chris Kempczinski said on its [November 4 earnings call](https://stockanalysis.com/stocks/mcd/transcripts/723685-q3-2026/). The eight-week trial began the previous week; a national program is the goal for early 2027.

Mix-and-match bundles let customers choose items; fixed bundles provide a predetermined combination. Franchisees representing about another 4,000 restaurants have separately adopted similar offers, outside the formal test. Together, they exceed 40% of the U.S. system, Kempczinski said. [Call transcript](https://stockanalysis.com/stocks/mcd/transcripts/723685-q3-2026/).

McDonald’s will assess additional traffic and sales, offer uptake and restaurant execution. Bundle purchases alone do not establish whether an offer brought extra business or changed an existing purchase. Kempczinski said it was too early to report results. [Call transcript](https://stockanalysis.com/stocks/mcd/transcripts/723685-q3-2026/).

## Who controls the price

Under its [global franchising standards](https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/content/dam/sites/corp/nfl/pdf/Supplemental%20Information%20on%20Global%20Franchising%20Standards%20Update.pdf), effective January 1, 2026, McDonald’s says franchisees continue to set their own prices and work directly with third-party pricing advisers. The company evaluates the outcomes of those decisions against its expectations for customer value.

## Sales and visits can move differently

U.S. comparable sales rose 0.8% in the quarter ended June 30, 2026, even as comparable guest counts fell. McDonald’s attributed the sales gain to larger checks, including a favorable mix of products. [Second-quarter results](https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/content/dam/sites/corp/nfl/pdf/MCD%20Q226%20Earnings%20Release%20-%20Exhibit%2099.1.pdf).

The company compares sales and transaction counts with the year-earlier period at franchised and company-operated restaurants open at least 13 months, including temporarily closed locations. Average checks reflect both pricing and the products customers buy. A higher comparable-sales figure therefore does not, on its own, establish more visits. [Measure definitions](https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/content/dam/sites/corp/nfl/pdf/MCD%20Q226%20Earnings%20Release%20-%20Exhibit%2099.1.pdf).

For the quarter ended September 30, U.S. comparable sales declined 0.2%. Negative guest counts were largely offset by higher checks, according to the [third-quarter results](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mcdonalds-reports-third-quarter-2026-results-302928424.html).

## What reaches the restaurant

Under McDonald’s conventional franchise model, operators pay rent and royalties based on a percentage of sales, with minimum rent payments also specified. Those payments are revenue for McDonald’s and expenses for the franchisee. A lower sales total does not eliminate the minimum rent obligation. Fees vary with the site, McDonald’s investment and local business conditions. [2025 annual filing](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/63908/000006390826000035/mcd-20251231.htm).

McDonald’s generally owns or leases the land and building; the franchisee pays for equipment, signs, seating and decor. Franchisees remain responsible for reinvesting in the business and generally pay property taxes, insurance and site maintenance. The owner’s obligations extend beyond the percentage payments tied to the register. [Conventional franchise arrangements](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/63908/000006390826000035/mcd-20251231.htm).

McDonald’s reported franchised restaurant margin measures its own franchise revenue less its occupancy costs. It does not show what franchisees retain after paying restaurant expenses. The company-operated margin subtracts food and paper, payroll and benefits, and occupancy and other operating costs; it excludes unallocated support expenses. [Margin definitions](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/63908/000006390826000080/exhibit992-9302026.htm).

For franchisees, additional sales must cover the costs of those orders and sales-based fees before adding to earnings. [Restaurant costs](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/63908/000006390826000080/exhibit992-9302026.htm); [franchise payments](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/63908/000006390826000035/mcd-20251231.htm).

For U.S. company-operated restaurants in the quarter ended September 30, 2026, margin dollars were $75 million on $742 million in sales, versus $90 million on $790 million a year earlier. Dividing margin dollars by sales gives approximately 10.1%, down from 11.4%. McDonald’s attributed pressure to inflation. [Supplemental results](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/63908/000006390826000080/exhibit992-9302026.htm).

Category: [Operations & Management](https://qsr.pro/categories/operations)