If you've ever requested an Uber during rush hour, you probably noticed a higher than normal price due to the app's surge pricing model. When demand for rides is high, Uber prices shoot up. Now imagine that same concept for a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger.
That's right, in the near future, a burger from Wendy's could cost you a lot more during peak hours if the chain moves forward with a dynamic pricing plan. Food & Wine reports that earlier this month Kirk Tanner, the new CEO and president of Wendy's, shared with investors the company's plans to introduce dynamic pricing by 2025.
"Beginning as early as 2025, we will begin testing a variety of enhanced features on these digital menuboards like dynamic pricing, different offerings in certain parts of the day, AI-enabled menu changes and suggestive selling based on factors such as weather. Dynamic pricing can allow Wendy's to be competitive and flexible with pricing, motivate customers to visit and provide them with the food they love at a great value," a Wendy's spokesperson said.
Following the news of Wendy's dynamic pricing plans, fans immediately expressed their frustration on social media. The backlash has been so severe that a number of Wendy's customers have already called for boycotts of the restaurant—even though the surge pricing hasn't been implemented yet.
One user on X pointed out that the shift to dynamic pricing could potentially "change the restaurant industry for the worse."
With fast food prices much higher than they were just a few years ago, some people have questioned the longevity of restaurants like Wendy's.
And as always, there were those on social media who were able to laugh through it all.
Update: After much online backlash, Wendy's has clarified their CEO's controversial remarks. "To clarify, Wendy's will not implement surge pricing, which is the practice of raising prices when demand is highest," Wendy's Vice President Heidi Schauer told NPR. "We didn't use that phrase, nor do we plan to implement that practice."
The chain still may implement dynamic pricing model starting in 2025, where prices change based on other factors. NPR reports that the compony said in "a separate statement that the digital menus could allow the company to offer discounts to customers during slower times of day."
