I look at it a bit like the fire pyramid. McDonald’s works if it is good quality, fast, and cheap.

McDonald’s is no longer cheap compared to other offerings, and I can find lots of places that are the other two for the same price.

When my order at McDonald’s is $17, and Culver’s is $55, that’s a hard sell, and Culver’s is a special occasion. When McDonald’s is $43 and Culver’s is $55, that just means I eat out less overall (win), order Culver’s and get better food (win), and spend roughly the same price (win). Why would I go to McDonald’s?

And at Culver’s that price includes milkshakes for the whole family, whereas my McDonald’s order includes no drinks of any kind.