McDonald's Is Bringing Back Its Dollar Menu

Update: A spokesperson for McDonald's confirmed that there will in fact be updated $1, $2, and $3 price points coming to the fast food chain. The shift is part of a new national value program that will roll out next year.

Update: This morning, TIME reported that McDonald's is allegedly bringing its beloved Dollar Menu back to locations nationwide in the beginning of 2018. This report comes after several months of speculation that the fast food chain was considering having its classic value menu return. We have reached out to McDonald's for confirmation and details and will update this piece as we find out more.

This story was originally published on July 28, 2017.

In late 2015, McDonald’s announced that it was tragically doing away with its iconic Dollar Menu, and fast food lovers everywhere wept upon hearing this news. In its place, the chain decided to usher in McPick2, a deal that allowed customers to pick two items for $2. As we previously reported, this wasn't McDonald's first attempt to replace the Dollar Menu. In 2012, it introduced the Extra Value Menu in the Dollar Menu's place, but that ultimately failed because it was too confusing for customers to understand. Well, it seems that McDonald's may have once again failed to fill the Dollar Menu's big shoes, so the chain may be bringing it back. Again.

Lately, we've seen McDonald's focusing more on what seem like fancier and more exciting initiatives like food delivery, fresh beef, and "Signature Crafted" guacamole burgers, and less on value. The CFO Kevin Ozaan said even last month that the chain isn't "necessarily looking to win on value because that's kind of a race to the bottom." And, earlier this week, McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook reportedly told investors the chain is "not obsessed about winning on value." However, according to BuzzFeed News, that not actually be true.

BuzzFeed News recently wrote that according to analyst reports, "McDonald's and its franchisees are also planning to reinstate a national value menu." McDonald's has not yet confirmed the return of the Dollar Menu, but a recent report from Cowen and Company analyst Andrew Charles says McDonald's is expected to launch this national value platform either later this year or early next year. Charles believes the chain's new platform will feature $1, $2, and $3 price points. Hopefully this time McDonald's will have learned its lesson about the Dollar Menu. While some people do enjoy being able to get the chain's food delivered and guac on their burgers, the real appeal of fast food is the low price.