McDonald's: An Exposé

For the second time this month, I'm presenting to you, dear readers, a piece of investigative journalism. Last week you learned the horrors of modern-day air poppers, and this week my subject revolves around McDonald's. There is no shortage of investigative topics surrounding the infamous golden arches. I'm not here to debunk the myth of whether the "beef" is really beef, nor am I going to try to explain why Canadian prices are 30%-40% higher than American ones even while our dollar is close to par. I'm not even going to explain the current tragedy of Canadians not having widespread access to the boneless-pork-patty-shaped-like-a-rib. What I'm really here to talk about is...cheeseburgers.

There are no greasy fast food outlets in Rossland. The closest thing is a Subway, and without a deep fryer, it fails to meet my greasy needs. Whenever we venture off to Trail for a cheap grocery shop, our primary destination is Wal-Mart, which like every other Wal-Mart has an in-store McDonald's.

McDonald's isn't my favourite fast food outlet, but their version of a cheeseburger hits the spot and their salt sticks are delicious. On a side note, I love to get my cheeseburgers with mac sauce, and sometimes lettuce. It's like a mini Big Mac. And it doesn't cost anything extra! Anyway...

The Cheeseburger. Classic. Delicious. Improved upon only by the addition of mac sauce.

After closely examining their menu and placing my order, the :


Cheeseburger: $1.69
Bacon Cheeseburger: $1.39

The Bacon Cheeseburger...like a cheeseburger, but with bacon. Also note that it's not nearly as good-looking as it's previously pictured cousin.

I know math wasn't my strongest subject, and I never did take economics, but I am unable to figure out how adding two strips of a secondary animal to my sandwich costs less than making it an all-beef affair. McDonald's is tricky with their pricing. The cheeseburger price is not posted, but the bacon cheeseburger is brightly displayed on the $1.39 menu board! I'm sure most people assume there is no way a cheeseburger could cost more than a bacon cheeseburger. Fools!

Cheeseburger: $1.69. I'm not lovin' it..

The solution to this whole problem is obvious: I just need to order a bacon cheeseburger without bacon. So during the next Wal-Mart adventure, I did.

Approximate transcript:

Rachel: Hello, I would like a bacon cheeseburger without bacon, please.
McDonald's: Uh...so we can just make you a cheeseburger?
R: Well, the cheeseburger costs 30 cents more than a bacon cheeseburger, so I would like a bacon cheeseburger without bacon.
M: Really? They aren't the same price? So...it's just the price then?
R: Yes.
M: Okay...a bacon cheeseburger without bacon...
R: And add mac sauce, please.

Later that day, I went home and called McDonald's to see if one of their employees could explain to me why it costs 22% more not to eat bacon. The closest thing to an explanation I could get was a "The bacon cheeseburger is a feature of our value menu and is priced lower than a cheeseburger even though, with two strips of bacon, it would seem to offer more value."

Proof that actually did order a bacon cheeseburger without bacon. Unfortunately, this receipt doesn't have the price breakdown.

Truthfully, I felt like an idiot. It's only 30 cents, right? But, like most great battles, it's not about the money, it's about principle. I prefer my cheeseburgers (mini macs!) without bacon...perhaps next time I will order the bacon on the side, and although it will seem unnecessarily pretentious, I think it will be easier for the employees to comprehend.