McDonald's is rethinking its value menu. We want your take.

5 hours ago 4

A man orders at the counter in a McDonald's restaurant as workers prepare food and take orders behind the counter.

McDonald's is facing big problems with some of the cheapest items on its menu.

The fast-food giant is rethinking its approach to value-priced options after a rough few months, executives said on Tuesday.

CEO Chris Kempczinski pointed to multiple problems on the company's second-quarter earnings call. The chain cut back on digital discounts, alienating some of its most loyal patrons. It also struggled to roll out its new under-$3 value menu to restaurants. And McDonald's had too many promotions too close together, from special World Cup meals to new refresher beverages.

McDonald's quarterly US sales growth slowed down as a result.

"We don't have a strategy problem," Kempczinski said. "We simply didn't execute at the level we needed to in the second quarter."

McDonald's has plenty of competition, with rivals eager to offer diners deals on a cheap burger.

We want to know what you think. Whether you're a weekly McDonald's customer or have stopped going altogether, we're interested in hearing your thoughts on the chain's value and prices.

Do you have a story idea about McDonald's? Contact this reporter at [email protected] or via encrypted messaging app Signal at 808-854-4501. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

Alex Bitter is a senior retail reporter covering the gig economy, food, and retail. His work focuses major gig delivery and ride-hailing apps, including Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, and Walmart's Spark. He is interested in everything from what it's like to work on the apps to the companies' business strategies.Some of his recent stories feature gig workers who have been deactivated on the apps, DoorDash hiring traditional employees to make deliveries, gig workers' use of bots, and gig work expanding into new professions, such as nursing.Alex has also written about Aldi's US expansion, Starbucks' turnaround efforts, and the fallout from Kraft-Heinz's budget cutting. Convenience store chain Sheetz ended its "smile policy" after his reporting.Before joining Insider in September 2020, he wrote about consumer and retail companies for S&P Global Market Intelligence. He's a graduate of the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa and grew up on the Big Island.Alex lives in the Washington, DC, area, where you can find him studying ancient coins or searching for Civil War artifacts with his metal detector in his free time.Got a tip? Reach out at [email protected] or via encrypted messaging app Signal at +1 (808) 854-4501.