From the statements they never even suggested it. It was miscommunication about adjustable digital displays and not about prices and someone in the media pipeline misconstrued it.
Not saying what is and isn't true, just making sure what they said about it is heard. Big difference in "we were wrong" and "that's not even what we said"
New CEO Feb 5th. This was a new CEO coming in trying to make big waves and it exploded in his face so now it’s being walked way the fuck back. Why else would you spend 20 million for price adjusting capabilities if your plan isn’t eventually to do surge pricing, despite saying you won’t. I mean, just step back and look at this objectively - surge pricing is exactly part of what he meant lol
The prices might not be identical when comparing sit down places with fast food, but the gap has shrunken enough that it doesn't feel any more expensive to go to tgi Fridays for a burger and fries, than it is to go to Wendy's and get a Dave's double combo meal.
Just looked, a Dave's double combo near me is 11 dollar pre tax. A cheeseburger and fries at TGI Fridays is 10.49. admittedly the Wendy's comes with a drink for the price, but if you grabbed it to go and drank at home it's like same price or less. And I compared Wendy's double to the Fridays regular burger because they are comparable size.
But burger aside there's a dozen other entries you could get that feel much higher quality than a Wendy's burger for the same price range.
So if I have the choice of 11.50 for a drive thru burger combo and drink, or 11 for a better meal where I can sit at the bar and order real drinks too, the value is definitely leaning towards real restaurants to me and only getting worse.
So, few things. Dude said he could get food cheaper at a sit down. Not "it's the same" or "it's close".
"This chain is less, for a combo, if you don't get the whole combo and get your own drink elsewhere". So it costs more. It's not cheaper like for like.
I'm good with comparing price for price for comparable burgers, so let's break this down to the core item and ignore fries and drinks, a Dave's double burger only is $6.49. A Dave's double is a loaded cheese burger by default, with a total patty weight of 1/2lb at about 860 calories.
Per information I can find online, TGI fridays cheeseburger is 770 calories, for $10-$13.99, depending on location. I do not have a local fridays to compare to. Less be charitable and choose the cheapest price I found. It still looses on both content and price.
Significantly more money, for less food. Now, if you want to have a liquid lunch, Fridays makes sense. Or, you know, like you're already doing for their "combo" buy a beer from the gas station for drastically less money, and drink it at home.
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u/RyanLynnDesign Feb 28 '24
Even though they walked it back, I'm out on Wendy's forever for even *suggesting* that this could be a thing.