The Problem Some People Had With McDonald's McMuffin Promotion
McDonald's introduced the Egg McMuffin in 1971, and to celebrate 50 years of a fast food breakfast classic the chain offered a special deal on the morning of November 18: 63 cent McMuffins, if you ordered through the McDonald's app (via PR Newswire).
Judging from what happened next, it's possible McDonald's plugged its app into 1970s computer technology, too. The combination of that ever-popular breakfast sandwich and 1971 prices crashed the app for thousands of users, according to Downdetector. With the app being the only way to score that special price, some customers never got their Egg McMuffin deal, and they let McDonald's know about it on Twitter. "Had an order placed and app crashed and couldn't get my deal. Location wouldn't honor it. McMuffins crashed the app!!! Had to pay full price!!" Twitter user @ChelsieCzop reported.
"Let's do the original $0.63 Egg McMuffin, but log everyone out first," @xChewbasquatcHx tweeted. "*insert evil laugh*"
Wendy's responded to McDonald's Egg McMuffin deal with a $1 breakfast biscuit
According to data from Downdetector, thousands of McDonald's app users reported problems between 8:15 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. Eastern time. Fox Business had reached out to McDonald's for a comment on the app crash, but the chain's corporate office didn't respond before Fox Business posted its story online.
Twitter user @MrScheelee was hoping master fast food Twitter troll Wendy's would be all over McDonald's for its technology fail during the 63 cent Egg McMuffin offer. "I sure hope @Wendys seizes on this and roasts you like you've never been roasted before," @MrScheelee wrote.
Wendy's Twitter remained eerily silent about McDonald's Egg McMuffin promotion gone wrong. However, Wendy's did counter on Twitter by offering breakfast biscuits for $1. Whenever Wendy's Twitter followers tried to inject McDonald's into the conversation, Wendy's swatted them down.
"Trynna hang with Mickey Ds," Twitter user @JR_2k12 told Wendy's. "Would rather hang with anyone else tbh," Wendy's replied. All's fair in the fast food Twitter wars, and McDonald's isn't innocent, either. The world's biggest fast food chain chose to hold the first-ever National Egg McMuffin Day in March 2020, on what just happened to be the same day Wendy's rolled out its breakfast menu (via USA Today).