Restaurants

McDonald’s is bringing back its ‘Dollar Menu’ with $1, $2, and $3 items

In this Jan. 20, 2012 photo, the McDonald's logo and a Happy Meal box with french fries and a drink are posed at McDonald's, in Springfield, Ill. McDonald’s Corp. saw net income jump by 11 percent in the fourth quarter, as the fast-food giant continued to attract budget-conscious customers with low prices. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman) Seth Perlman / AP, File

NEW YORK (AP) — The Dollar Menu is making a McComeback.

McDonald’s said Monday that it is reviving the name of the once-popular value menu next month after a two-year absence, but this time the items will cost $1, $2 or $3.

Offering cheap eats has become a winning strategy for the world’s largest hamburger chain, and a way to fight off other low-priced chains. In October, it attributed a rise in a key sales figure during the third quarter to its $1 sodas and a two-for-$5 promotion called McPick 2. And as more people visited its restaurants for deals, McDonald’s said some also bought pricier burgers stuffed with crispy onions or guacamole, which helped sales.

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McDonald’s dumped the original Dollar Menu, with items costing $1, about four years ago as franchisees complained that their profits were squeezed by a rise in ingredient costs. But the move hurt sales as customers went elsewhere for low-priced fast food. In 2013, it launched the Dollar Menu & More, with items costing as much as $5, but discontinued it about two years ago and replaced it with the McPick 2.

The “$1 $2 $3 Dollar Menu” will become a permanent part of the McDonald’s nationwide menu starting Jan. 4, the Oak Brook, Illinois-based company said. It tested other names, but customers liked the Dollar Menu one best, said Chris Kempczinski, who oversees McDonald’s Corp.’s U.S. business.

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“It’s something that still resonates,” he said.

There are a dozen items on the new menu, including a sausage burrito for a buck, a bacon McDouble for $2 and a Happy Meal for $3.

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Contact Joseph Pisani at http://twitter.com/josephpisani

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This story has corrected to read that the announcement was made Monday, not Tuesday.