California McDonald's Are Shrinkflating This Menu Item, According To Reddit

California's nickname is the Golden State, but it may not be the best state for fans of the Golden Arches. Not only do Los Angeles and San Diego rank among the nation's top cities for the highest McDonald's prices, but now, in the latest piece of bad news for California fast food fans, comes another blow: In 2024, it seems you're shelling out big bucks for fewer fries.

One Bay Area Redditor posted a photo of their $14 Big Mac meal — which, yes, is somewhat of a bargain compared to the $18 Big Mac meal spotted at a Connecticut rest stop in 2023, but is still pretty spendy. Most notably, though, the "large" fries shown in the photo appear to be anything but. The paper bag is barely full, and why were the fries even in a bag, anyway? McDonald's website shows that small fries are packaged in a paper bag, while medium and large ones should come in a red cardboard carton.  Needless to say, the OP wasn't too pleased with their meal deal, if the name of the subreddit they posted to is anything to go by: r/mildlyinfuriating. (Mildly? We'd say it rates at least a moderate on the infuriating scale.)

Times are tough all over, and the restaurant industry is responding with smaller portion sizes. This anti-supersizing movement, whether driven by profit or a desire to reduce food waste, is causing fast food customers to cry shrinkflation, and McDonald's gets a fair share of complaints. As the chain has more than doubled its prices over the last decade, it may see reducing portion sizes as a subtler way to increase profits. If it thinks no one's noticing, though, it's sadly mistaken. One Redditor suggests that the shrinking Big Mac be redubbed the Little Mac, while another reminisces about the days when the burger patties weren't so thin as to be practically transparent

Yet another person, posting in r/shrinkflation, directs their complaints against fellow Redditors who continue to purchase McDonald's ever-shrinking items and warns that the chain will continue this practice as long as it can get away with it. This may be so, but there's some evidence that the tide could soon be turning. The chain has recently experienced falling sales worldwide, and the resulting drop in revenue may mean that it will need to focus on wooing more budget-conscious consumers with better bargains.