McDonald’s Workers Want Adults To Stop Buying Happy Meals
McDonald's employees are saying the new Adult Happy Meals are causing additional strain at locations because of how fast they are selling.
This article is more than 2 years old
Barely a week into the launch of its adult Happy Meals, McDonald’s frontline employees are begging customers to stop ordering them. When the eatery announced the limited-time promotion in partnership with streetwear brand Cactus Plant Flea Market, it seemed destined for success. But no one at the company was prepared for the extremely high volume of orders
While customers are excited about their Happy Meals and the limited edition toys, McDonald’s employees are less enthusiastic about dealing with a flood of orders. “I can see the stress among my coworkers,” one staffer told Kotaku. To stem the demand for the boxes, workers have taken to social media to vent. “Please stop ordering these,” another person posted on TikTok.
Source: McDonald’s
Under the title, “New Adult Happy Meals Are Killing Me,” an anonymous McDonald’s employee shared their grievances on Reddit. “We literally just came off the buy one get one for a dollar and we were swamped with Big Mac meals, the person explained. “Now with this, we have to literally stockpile them to survive a rush. I hate it.”
It seems like the McDonald’s burger combined with the collectible toy has driven customers into a frenzy, with orders coming in faster than restaurants can serve them. Most stores have sold out of the special boxes, burger buns, or toys. And at other outlets, it’s more than just one. Interestingly, the cause of the problem seems to be the complex nature of the order when compared to the traditional kid’s Happy Meal.
When a customer orders a Cactus Plant Flea Market Happy Meal, the order consists of a Big Mac or a box of 10 chicken nuggets, which is more difficult to assemble than the tiny kid’s meal. Additionally, it’s impossible for staffers to stack the boxes due to their design, which puts further strain on over-worked McDonald’s employees who have to juggle the endless orders.
Interestingly, in a statement to Fortune, a McDonald’s spokesperson said employees received extra training to deal with the demand before the promotion. “Leading up to the launch, we prepped crew with training and resources in anticipation of higher traffic in restaurants,” the company explained. The representative added that the restaurant crew is the best in the business, and the eatery appreciates everything they’re doing to serve customers during this promotion.
This isn’t the first time a McDonald’s promotion has put employees under strain. In 2017, the fast food giant revived its Szechuan dipping sauce for one day in collaboration with Rick and Morty. Stores were packed with desperate fans hoping to get some of the limited supply, leading to long lines, disruptive customers, and even calls to law enforcement.
However, it’s not surprising that demand for the adult Happy Meals is so great. Besides the food, the toys, which include old favorites like the Hamburgler, Grimace, and Birdie, are pretty cool. There’s also a new friend called Cactus Buddy, who’s decked out in a nostalgic McDonald’s uniform. The promotion runs till October 30th, or while supplies last.
