Want Fries With That? Fries Sales Suffer at McDonald's, Hurting Producers

Since the pandemic, the prices of groceries and eating out have skyrocketed, leading us to be more mindful about where we're spending our hard-earned cash.

Local businesses have lived this reality over the last few years, but now the big dogs are finally feeling the ripple. So much so that one of the largest producers of french fries in North America, Lamb Weston, is closing a production plant in Washington State due to the decrease in restaurant demand for frozen potatoes.

According to Lamb Weston, about 80% of french fries consumed in the United States come from fast food chains, which they supply. McDonald's is one of its largest customers, accounting for 13% of sales, and the golden arches are struggling (if we can call it that).

Sales at U.S. McDonald's open for at least a year dropped 0.7% last quarter, and customer traffic dropped 2% compared to the same period a year earlier.

As the fries demand has slowed at McDonald's and other fast food chains, the king of the fry became oversupplied, leading to the production plant's closure. Nearly 400 employees were laid off, totaling 4% of its workforce.

Those aren't the only numbers on the decline, either. Shares of Lamb Weston stock have plummeted 35% just this year.

McDonald's is trying to curb its financial hit by offering limited-time deals reminiscent of the glory days when fast food was appropriately priced.

Right now Mickey D's is offering the $5 Meal Deal, which consists of a McChicken sandwich or McDouble cheeseburger, a four-piece chicken nugget, a small fry and a small drink. Also, if you use their app, you can get access to Free Fries Friday, which nets you a free medium-sized fry on any $1+ purchase.

In a perfect world, you could get said free medium fry and small ice cream for a little over $1. As long as the ice cream machine is working ...