04-03-2025
Shake Shack first-ever combo meal: Here's what you can get for $9.99
Shake Shack first-ever combo meal: Here's what you can get for $9.99
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Subway and McDonald's debut new value menus
Fast food companies resolved to lower prices in the New Year, with Subway and McDonalds unveiling menu changes this week.
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Shake Shack is jumping on the value meal bandwagon temporarily, offering customers its first-ever combo meal through March 15.
The New York City-based restaurant chain, like Five Guys, is one of a few fast-food joints that still sells menu items separately. Until now.
Shake Shack is taking out a page from its competitors' playbook by extending the $9.99 meal deal, which features the Chicken Shack sandwich, crinkle cut fries and a small soda at locations nationwide for the next two weeks.
To celebrate its first-ever combo meal, Shake Shack is embarking on a social media search for someone to bring its first mascot, Chickette, to life.
Here's what to know about Shake Shack's first-ever combo meal, including how to get it.
Value meal wars continue in 2025: See deals at McDonald's, Burger King, more
Shake Shack takes cues from competitors
A number of Shake Shack's competitors in the fast food game, including McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's, have offered and continue to offer their own take on the value meal.
Value meals were a way for fast food chains to cater to consumers concerned about inflation and higher food prices. These budget-friendly meals have become a mainstay as a result of increasing food prices.
Fast food chains weren't the only ones to embrace the approach. At the start of the new year, Outback Steakhouse offered an Aussie 3-Course Meal for $14.99, and convenience store chain Circle K began to offer $3, $4 and $5 meal deals.
Food away from home has increased 3.6% over the 12-month period ending in December 2024, compared to a 2.5% increase for all food and a 2.9% increase in all items, according to the Labor Department's consumer price index. Limited-service meals have risen slightly higher (3.7%) than full-service meals at 3.7%.
"Consumers are continuing to feel the sting of inflation and so more than half of Americans are eating out less than they used to," Christopher Hydock, a professor at Tulane University's School of Business, who specializes in consumer experience and retail pricing, previously told USA TODAY.
Hydock highlighted trend data from CivicScience, market researcher, which found 59% of the 1,535 U.S. adults surveyed in October 2024 said they had dined out less often in the previous six months, with many spending more on groceries so they could eat at home.
"With less customers eating out, restaurants are forced to compete for fewer customers which forces them to find ways to differentiate their offerings," Hydock said. "Since price is also increasingly a concern for customers, value meals are one logical way of doing so."
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Shake Shack's first-ever combo meal: How to get it
In order to redeem the $9.99 Shake Shack combo meal, customers must add each individual menu item to their cat when ordering at the kiosk in-restaurant or on the Shake Shack app/website and enter the code "CHICKEN" at checkout.
The promotion is only valid for qualifying orders placed in-Shack through a kiosk or for pick-up or delivery on the Shake Shack Mobile App or via at participating Shake Shack locations. It may only be applied once per order.
Shake Shack's promotional offer excludes any other paid add-ons like Avocado Bacon Chicken, Chicken Bites, cheese fries, bacon cheese fries, limited time offering fries, large soda, core & limited time offer shakes, core & limited time offer lemonades and iced teas.
Contributing: Mike Snider, USA TODAY
