Wendy's directly targets McDonald's malfunctioning McFlurry machinery by introducing $1 Frosty promotions.
Wendy's is offering small-sized $1 Frosty's until October 1st, and they're partnering with McBusted, a service that informs about the McDonald's eateries with faulty ice cream machines.
The reduced price could also lure bargain-hunters who aren't dining out as much and spending less money when they do, thereby accounts for a decrease in fast food sales and a drop in restaurant attendance.
Wendy's Frosty has been the preferred sugary indulgence when fans' appetites call, while McDonald's machinery has been down – usually for two to three hours at a stretch, as per the chain's announcement, without explicitly acknowledging McDonald's.
As per McBusted's stats, nearly 15% of McDonald's ice cream equipment has gone out of commission as of Thursday. The machines are most frequently inoperable between 11 am and 3 pm, with Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, New York, and Los Angeles being the hardest-hit cities.
Wendy's has marked its restaurant locations on the McBusted map to guide fans towards a "dependable and delectable alternative." There's also a banner on the site promoting the $1 Frosty deal.
McBusted was set up a few years ago by Rashiq Zahid, who shared the same frustration over inoperative ice cream machinery at McDonald's. He explained to CNN that the service works by using data from McDonald's iOS and Android apps.
If the ice cream machine is out of order, the McDonald's app deletes the ice cream order from the cart, Zahid stated. When this occurs, a red dot signifies unavailability on mcbroken.com's map.
McDonald's replied to CNN, expressing their excitement about customer fervor turning into customer-inspired solutions to better the customer experience.
Wendy's and McDonald's have been at odds over chilly desserts for a few years now. Wendy's has been introducing limited-time flavors, like pumpkin pie and peppermint, to boost Frosty's fame. McDonald's also often promotes new flavors for their McFlurry but recently introduced a miniature size in response to customer demand for value.
In an effort to attract customers during this period, Wendy's business strategy includes offering small-sized $1 Frosty's until October 1st. Due to frequent ice cream machine issues at McDonald's, many customers have turned to nearby Wendy's for a reliable and delicious alternative, especially during lunch hours.
