"When we first launched our Happy Meal deal, there were lines down the block of people wanting to order it. The place would get so packed that it interfered with dinner service. A certain well-known fast food franchise even sent a cease and desist letter, which is framed and hung inside the bar."
"At The Woo Woo in Midtown Manhattan, the happy hour deal offers a choice of mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders, or sliders with a side of fries, an '80s toy, and the most essential component—a cocktail—all for $24."
"Nostalgia is only half of the appeal; the other half is value. In some places in Manhattan a cocktail is $25, so when we offer a deal at that price, people are going to gravitate towards it."
A growing trend has emerged in bars and restaurants nationwide where establishments offer adult versions of McDonald's Happy Meals, combining nostalgic childhood foods with alcoholic beverages at discounted happy hour prices. These deals typically include items like chicken tenders, sliders, or burgers paired with cocktails or wine, often presented in themed packaging with toys. Lobby Bar in Washington D.C. claims to have pioneered the trend in July 2024, offering champagne, fries, and burger options for $31, which became so popular it disrupted dinner service. Similar offerings now appear in Manhattan, Memphis, and other cities. The appeal combines millennial nostalgia and infantilization as coping mechanisms with practical value, as cocktails alone often cost $25 or more in major cities. The trend has attracted enough attention that McDonald's sent a cease-and-desist letter to at least one establishment.
Read at Esquire
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]