Visits to U.S. McDonald’s Fall as High Cost of Living Squeezes Customers

U.S. McDonald’s restaurants saw customer traffic decline in the third quarter as elevated gas prices and mounting living costs pressured household budgets.

Same-store sales in the United States, which track locations open for at least a year, slipped 0.2% from July through September, McDonald’s said Wednesday. The result was better than Wall Street’s projected 0.5% decline but marked the first sales drop for the Chicago-based burger chain since early 2025.

McDonald’s brought back discounts through its app and centered its advertising on affordability during the quarter, helping same-store sales return to growth in September. The renewed emphasis on value, however, underscores the difficult economic climate facing fast-food operators across the country.

U.S. fast-food foot traffic dropped 2.6% industrywide in the third quarter, according to Revenue Management Solutions, a consultant serving the restaurant sector.

“This is the environment that we’re in right now. You have to be on your game and deliver that value,” McDonald’s Chairman and CEO Chris Kempczinski told investors last month. “The pressure around cost of living isn’t going away.”

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Outside the U.S., McDonald’s same-store sales increased 1.3% during the quarter. Gains in Germany and Australia helped counter weaker results in France, where protests that began in September disrupted business.

Quarterly revenue climbed 1% to $7.16 billion, falling short of analysts’ $7.28 billion estimate.

Net income rose 9% to $2.49 billion. Excluding one-time items, McDonald’s reported earnings of $3.57 per share, topping the $3.38 per-share profit analysts had anticipated.