Wendy’s Says “Our Bad” with $1 Dave’s Single Deal After Surge Pricing Disaster

Wendy’s has been quite the popular kid in the news over the past week, but not for their spicy nuggets…the chain caught heat for their newly proposed idea of, “dynamic pricing.” Basically, the plan was to change menu prices based on how busy they were. Think rush hour Wendy’s costing more than your hungover 3 am visit (or vice versa).

And, this is where things really got interesting – let’s just say the internet wasn’t loving it. People went from “Where’s my Baconator?” to “Boycott Wendy’s” real quick. Wendy’s scrambled the troops to explain they weren’t trying to pull a fast one, and jack prices during peak times, they just wanted more flexibility with deals and discounts.

This is how Wendy’s CEO Kirk Tanner introduced the idea initially during an earnings call: “We will begin testing more enhanced features like dynamic pricing and daypart offering, along with AI-enabled menu changes and suggestive selling.”

Once the heat started to roll in Wendy’s issued a statement, taking back the dynamic pricing intent. They added: “Digital menu boards could allow us to change the menu offerings at different times of day and offer discounts and value offers to our customers more easily, particularly in the slower times of day.”

$1 Dave’s Single, $2 Dave’s Double

To make up for the surge pricing debacle, over the course of the next month, they’re serving up $1 Dave’s Singles and $2 Dave’s Doubles through their app. That’s basically a steal, considering a regular Dave’s Single costs way more than that. So, is this Wendy’s way of saying sorry for the whole “surge pricing” thing? Maybe, maybe not. But hey, cheap burgers are cheap burgers, and we’re not complaining!

Here’s the thing: you gotta use the app to score these sweet deals. No cash on the counter for this one. And you can only use each offer once before, April 10th…of course if you have an account for each family member, then you’re really flying.

We actually tested this deal out last night to confirm its efficacy, and hallelujah…it worked! A Dave’s Double comes out to about $8 and change normally. At the counter we flourished our QR code, and watched that bill sink to $2 and change.

Is it an official apology? Not exactly. But it’s hard to deny a message of “we messed up, here’s a burger” when it comes wrapped in a shiny red wrapper. Of course, there’s also the chance that these deals could also coincide with March Madness.

So, if you’re a Wendy’s fan who felt burned by the surge pricing talk, this $1 burger deal might just be the perfect way to bury the hatchet (or, you know, bury your face in a delicious cheeseburger). Just don’t mention it’s their not-so-subtle apology tour. They might hit you with a sassy tweet. You know how Wendy’s is.