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Study Reveals Americans Are Spending Shocking Amounts on McDonald’s — Especially Through Delivery Apps

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Americans are paying more than ever for fast food — especially if they’re ordering McDonald’s through delivery apps. A new nationwide study by financial technology company Self found that the cost of a typical McDonald’s order has ballooned over the past two years, with third-party apps driving prices significantly higher.

By comparing prices in the 100 largest U.S. cities across DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub, the researchers aimed to capture just how much more people are shelling out for the convenience of delivery.

The order used in the study was the same in every city:

A Big Mac Combo Meal

A Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe Large Meal

A 6-Piece Chicken McNuggets Happy Meal

A Hamburger Happy Meal

In 2025, the average cost of that order at a McDonald’s location was $36.95 — a 23.7% increase since 2023. But when the same meal was ordered through delivery apps, the average price jumped to $62.36, representing a 7.8% increase from two years ago and nearly doubling the in-store cost.

Delivery fees, service fees, local taxes, and tips were all factored into the totals, offering a real-world look at what customers are actually paying. The study even found city-by-city price differences of up to $33.88.

Among the three major platforms analyzed:

DoorDash was the priciest, averaging $63.21 — a 71.1% markup over restaurant pricing.

Uber Eats followed closely at $62.60, with a 69.4% increase.

Grubhub was the “cheapest” at $61.26, but still represented a 65.8% markup.

Though delivery prices are rising, one silver lining is that the average markup over in-store pricing has actually dropped compared to 2023. That year, the average delivery markup was a whopping 93.8%. In 2025, it has decreased to 68.6%, thanks in part to more competitive pricing and fluctuating fees.

The most cost-effective way to enjoy your McDonald’s favorites remains the old-fashioned one: picking it up in person. The study emphasized that delivery should be considered a luxury — especially when ordering multiple meals.

AI Chatbot for Hiring McDonald’s Workers Exposed Millions of Applicants’ Personal Data

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Security researchers have uncovered glaring vulnerabilities in the “McHire” AI chatbot used by McDonald’s to hire workers, potentially exposing the personal information of approximately 64 million job applicants.

Tom’s Hardware reports that security researchers Ian Carroll and Sam Curry have discovered critical flaws in the McHire chatbot, developed by Paradox.ai for McDonald’s, which could have been exploited to access sensitive data of millions of job applicants. The chatbot, known as Olivia, is reportedly used by 90 percent of McDonald’s franchises in the United States to streamline their hiring processes.

The first vulnerability came to light when the researchers successfully guessed the password used by Paradox team members to access McHire: “123456.” This weak password allowed Carroll and Curry to gain administrator access to a test restaurant within the McHire system. While this initial access only revealed employees of Paradox.ai, it provided valuable insights into the workings of the application.

However, the real concern emerged with the discovery of a second vulnerability. An insecure direct object reference (IDOR) flaw in the McHire API enabled the researchers to access a wealth of personal information from every chat interaction involving individuals who had ever applied for a job at McDonald’s. This exposed data included names, email addresses, phone numbers, addresses, candidacy states, form inputs such as preferred shifts, and even authentication tokens that could be used to log into the consumer UI and view raw chat messages. (Read more from “AI Chatbot for Hiring McDonald’s Workers Exposed Millions of Applicants’ Personal Data” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

McDonald’s Revenue Takes Hit After Russia Exit

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McDonald’s exit from Russia in April sparked a revenue drop at the fast-food giant despite US sales that were goosed by higher prices amid surging inflation.

The company’s overall revenue dipped 3% to $5.8 billion in the second quarter largely because McDonald’s closed its company-owned eateries in Russia and Ukraine after the war broke out. Profits fell by nearly half due to a $1.2 billion charge related to the sale of the Russian business, the company said Tuesday.

Russia was one of the company’s largest international markets, with McDonald’s reporting that it owned 84% of its 847 restaurants in the country.

At the same time, menu price increases fueled a 9.7% increase in global comparable sales including a 3.7% increase in the US but excluding stores that were exited in Russia. (Read more from “McDonald’s Revenue Takes Hit After Russia Exit” HERE)

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Obese Russian Man Chains Himself to McDonald’s to Prevent Closure

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A Russian man chained himself to a McDonald’s restaurant in Moscow in an attempt to keep it open amid nationwide closures related to the country’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the Mirror.

“Closing down is an act of hostility against me and my fellow citizens!” the man yelled before being dragged away by police, the Mirror reported.

The man gave a speech while standing with his hand tied to the entrance as customers ignored him while entering the restaurant in a video shared by the Mirror. (Read more from “Obese Russian Man Chains Himself to McDonald’s to Prevent Closure” HERE)

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Report: Dad Orders 4-Year-Old to Shoot at Police at McDonald’s Drive-Thru

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A 4-year-old child fired a gun at police officers on instructions from his father during a dispute over a food order at a McDonald’s drive-thru in Utah on Monday, officials said.

The shooting took place at a McDonald’s in Midvale, just outside of Salt Lake City, when a man flashed a gun at fast-food workers during an argument about his order, according to Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake.

Sadaat Johnson was at the drive-thru with two children in the backseat when an argument ensued. Johnson, 27, pulled over and waited for workers to fix his order. . .

Officers arrived and were able to remove Johnson, who was being uncooperative, from the vehicle.

While he was being apprehended, police said the dad instructed the 4-year-old child – who was still in the vehicle – to shoot the officers. Cops said they saw a small arm and hand holding a gun appear from inside the vehicle door. (Read more from “Report: Dad Orders 4-Year-Old to Shoot at Police at McDonald’s Drive-Thru” HERE)

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McDonald’s CEO’s Text to Chicago Mayor Sparks ‘Racism’ Protest

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McDonald’s head honcho Chris Kempczinski is under fire over a text message he sent to Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot about shootings in the city that critics say was “racist” and “ignorant.”

Protesters say the message — sent on April 19 but revealed Tuesday — appeared to blame parents who “failed” their children.

“p.s. tragic shootings in last week, both at our restaurant yesterday and with Adam Toldeo [sic]. With both, the parents failed those kids which I know is something you can’t say. Even harder to fix,” he said, according to WBEZ Chicago, which obtained the text through a Freedom of Information Act request.

The text was sent shortly after Lightfoot had visited the McDonald’s headquarters and appeared to be referring to the deaths of Jaslyn Adams, 7, who was killed the day before the text in her father’s car outside a Chicago area McDonald’s, and Adam Toledo, 13, who was fatally shot by police the month prior. . .

Activist groups are reportedly planning a protest Wednesday outside the McDonald’s headquarters. (Read more from “McDonald’s CEO’s Text to Chicago Mayor Sparks ‘Racism’ Protest” HERE)

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/usacehq/50196354582

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WATCH: McDonald’s Employee Reveals 3 Shocking Secrets About Drive-thru Window

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A New Zealand McDonald’s worker flabbergasted fast-food lovers on TikTok after divulging three shocking truths about what transpires at the drive-thru. A clip of the hamburger-slinging Samaritan’s behind-the-scenes peek boasts 322,000 likes since it was uploaded on TikTok Oct. 12.

The revealing clip shows TikTok user @charlton.a in the middle of a shift, with captions listing the groundbreaking “drive through facts.” Per the PSA, workers allegedly can hear everything customers say even before the mike “turns on” to take their order.

If that wasn’t CIA-stealthy enough, the Golden Arches reportedly even snaps “mugshot photos” of patrons behind the wheel so employees know who gets which orders. So don’t even think of badmouthing employees while driving to the pickup window, or brandishing a gun if they don’t get your order right.

Of course, not all of the drive-thru revelations had to do with Big-Mac Brother surveilling customers. According to @charlton.a, the fast-food outlet also sells a “recipe book,” so burger addicts can get their Mickey D’s fix at home.

Nonetheless, social media had mixed feelings about the potentially privacy-violating reveals. (Read more from “McDonald’s Employee Reveals 3 Shocking Secrets About Drive-thru Window” HERE)

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Woman Accused of Shooting at McDonald’s Workers After They Told Her Dining Room Was Closed

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Oklahoma City police identified a woman accused of firing shots inside a McDonald’s restaurant after being told by employees that the dining room was closed due to coronavirus restrictions.

According to police, officers responded just before 6:30 p.m. Wednesday to a report of a shooting at McDonald’s near Southwest 89th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.

According to police, the suspect entered the restaurant and was told by employees the dining area was closed. She was asked to leave but refused, and police said a physical altercation ensued between the suspect and an employee.

Police said the suspect was then forced out of the restaurant by employees. She reentered the restaurant with a handgun and fired about three rounds in the restaurant, according to police.

One employee was hit in the arm, a second was hit with shrapnel in the neck/shoulder area and a third employee was hit with shrapnel in the side, police said. The employee who was involved in the initial physical confrontation suffered a head injury. The cause of this injury in unclear, according to police. (Read more from “Woman Accused of Shooting at McDonald’s Workers After They Told Her Dining Room Was Closed” HERE)

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Rep. Omar Leaves out Some Key Details When Complaining About the Pay Gap at McDonald’s

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Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) cited a claim about the pay gap between the CEO of McDonald’s, Steve Easterbrook, and the company’s median employee Thursday but left out some key details.

At a hearing calling for increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour, Rep. Omar questioned Missouri McDonald’s shift manager Terrence Wise who shared that he made $11 an hour with the company.

“So the median pay for a McDonald’s worker was $7,000 in 2017,” Rep. Omar said, “and that is the pay gap between the CEO that’s making $21.8 [million] to the $7,000 that a worker who has put in 40 hours a day[sic] gets paid. To me, that just morally does not sit well.” . . .

However, the part that Omar failed to mention is that “McDonald’s defines a median employee as a part-time hourly restaurant crew member in Poland, where wages are lower than in the U.S. and it didn’t use any of the exclusions allowed.” (Read more from “Rep. Omar Leaves out Some Key Details When Complaining About the Pay Gap at McDonald’s” HERE)

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Man Tries to Throttle McDonald’s Employee Over Plastic Straws. She Serves Him a Super-Size Whooping

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A St. Petersburg, Florid, a McDonald’s customer has been arrested after starting (and handily losing) a brawl with a female restaurant employee over plastic straws.

Upset about the lack of any straws in the condiment section, Daniel Willis Taylor — a white male transient, according to The Washington Post — proceeded to verbally scold a black female cashier. The argument quickly escalated into physical violence when Taylor reached across the counter and grabbed the employee’s shirt.

“She told him that it’s the law now that they’re not supposed to have the straws in the lobby,” said Brenda Biandudi, who witnessed and recorded the altercation, then spoke to The Washington Post on Wednesday via phone. “He said there’s no such law.”

But the cashier was indeed correct, as the St. Petersburg City Council voted to ban plastic straws entirely starting in 2020 but allowed business to only grant the straws upon customer request in 2019, the Post reported. . .

Soon after Biandudi pulled out her camera, Taylor leaned across the counter and grabbed the cashier. After an initial loss of balance, the employee punched the man several times until other employees broke the two apart. (Read more from “Man Tries to Throttle McDonald’s Employee Over Plastic Straws. She Serves Him a Super-Size Whooping” HERE)

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