Wendy’s targets McDonald’s broken McFlurry machines with a $1 Frosty

new York
CNN
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McDonald’s is notorious for its broken ice cream machines – there’s even an independent website that monitors broken McFlurry machines. Wendy’s takes advantage of this.

Wendy’s is selling small Frosty dairy-based desserts for $1 through September 30 – and is partnering with McBroken, which reports which McDonald’s stores have broken ice cream machines.

The temporary price reduction could also attract price-conscious customers who are eating out less often and spending less when they do so. This would lead to falling fast-food sales and a decline in restaurant patronage.

The Wendy’s Frosty “was the first choice for a sweet treat when fans were craving ice cream while the ice cream machines at other locations were offline – often for two to three hours at a time,” the chain said in a press release, without directly mentioning McDonald’s.

Nearly 15 percent of McDonald’s ice cream machines were broken by Thursday, according to data from McBroken. They were most often unavailable between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The hardest hit areas were Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, New York and Los Angeles.

Wendy’s has added the locations of its restaurants, represented by its logo, to the McBroken map to show fans where to get a “reliable and delicious option.” There’s also an ad at the top of the website promoting the $1 Frosty special.

McBroken was founded several years ago by Rashiq Zahid, who was also frustrated by McDonald’s lack of working ice cream machines. He previously explained to CNN that the app works using data from McDonald’s iOS and Android apps.

If the ice cream machine is offline, the McDonald’s app will remove the ice cream order from the cart, he said. In this case, a red dot will appear on the mcbroken.com map indicating that the ice cream is not available at that location.

McDonald’s previously told CNN that it is “exciting to see customers’ passion translate into innovative solutions that further make this experience a reality.”

The cold dessert war between Wendy’s and McDonald’s has heated up in recent years. Wendy’s has added flavors from pumpkin spice to peppermint for limited times to boost Frosty’s popularity. McDonald’s also often promotes new flavors for its McFlurry, but recently added a miniature size as customers continue to look for a value-for-money option.