Wendy’s Enters the Fast-Food Wars With the $1 Honey Buddy Sandwich

Wendy’s has announced its entry into the ongoing fast-food wars among the likes of Taco Bell, Jack in the Box, and Burger King with its $1 Honey Buddy sandwich. The discount sandwich will be available for a limited time at participating locations. The announcement comes after the popular fast-food chain received a backlash for its announcement about dynamic pricing. Let’s take a look at what we know about the discount sandwich.

The Wendy’s $1 Honey Buddy

According to PEOPLE, until Monday, Sept. 30, Wendy’s will be giving away $1 Honey Buddies during breakfast hours every week.

The promotion, which is available with any purchase, aims to improve Monday morning routines, or what Wendy’s refers to as “Unhappy Hour.”

The Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit is now known as Honey Buddy. According to a press release, the combination of fried chicken and maple honey butter on top of a biscuit creates a “harmonious balance of savory and sweet in every bite.”

The Honey Buddy begins with a buttermilk biscuit that is delightfully fluffy, then it is topped with a buttery, sweet maple honey spread and breaded chicken made entirely of white meat. Every mouthful of the popular breakfast sandwich is a balanced blend of salty and sweet flavors.

Before adding a $1 Honey Buddy and another item to their cart, customers must first pick the “$1 breakfast sandwich with any purchase” offer from the “offers” menu. By scanning the in-app promotion, customers can enjoy the discount in-person or on mobile orders placed during breakfast hours.

Despite being advertised as a Monday morning pick-me-up, the offer is valid any day of the week, once per week, so if you use it on Tuesday, you won’t be able to use it again until Tuesday of the following week.

CEO Kirk Tanner’s Dynamic Pricing Backlash

News of Wendy’s latest entry into the fast-food wars comes amidst the backlash that CEO Kirk Tanner received for announcing his desire to introduce dynamic pricing to the chain.

Tanner made the announcement during a February earnings call that the business would begin experimenting with dynamic pricing, which includes presenting digital menus that have the ability to frequently change prices and options. In response to online criticism from customers regarding possible price increases, a representative stated that Wendy’s had no intention of enacting surge pricing.

The restaurant business declared that its digital menu boards would prioritize offering consumers discounts in a more effective manner.

Elizabeth Pancotti, the Roosevelt Institute’s director of special initiatives, explained that there are issues with using digital pricing techniques for necessities. Although these strategies are not new, she pointed out that using them on essentials creates serious problems.

“There are so many folks that are relying on more stable prices,” she said. “Prices are high, but they’re at least stable. And you could see a lot more instability. I think when you think about our macroeconomic tools, the Fed doesn’t have the ability to fight for price stability when they’re waging a war against digital price tags that can change every three seconds.”

When told about Wendy’s dynamic pricing situation, she continued: “I commend companies for being creative and trying to find these places where they can operate without regulations and without a lot of government capacity. But I think it’s a huge risk for consumers.”

All things considered, American customers love a good deal, so companies always compete to offer the best offers — or at least give the appearance of doing so.

Another company that demonstrates this tactic is Walmart, which debuted creative pricing techniques in the first part of June. Over the next three years, the retail behemoth intends to install digital shelf labels in 2,300 locations.