Chili’s takes on McDonald’s Quarter Pounder in its latest value-driven campaign

Chili’s continues to directly challenge McDonald’s, this time by going after one of the fast-food giant’s most popular burgers. Chili’s has added a “Big QP” to its menu, short for quarter pounder, as part of its “3 for Me” meal deal that it has used to try to win customers from fast-food chains amid inflation. In new ads from JM&D (formerly known as Jon Marshall & Daughters), Chili’s says the Big QP burger has 85% more beef than a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder and asks if consumers are “McDone” with “tiny” burgers. The 3 for Me meal with a Big QP comes with fries, bottomless chips and salsa and unlimited fountain drink servings for $10.99. “Hey, fast food! This is how you value meal,” says the voiceover in another ad. Despite its name, the pre-cooked weight of the burger patty used in the Big QP is 7.5 oz, making it larger than the 4-ounce patty used in McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. The ads will run on TV, online video and social media. Fast Food Financing pop-up JM&D also worked with production and entertainment shop M ss ng P eces on “Fast Food Financing,” a limited-time pop-up store in New York City’s Union Square meant to resemble a payday loan store. The pop-up, located next to a McDonald’s, will open on April 16 and 17 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Consumers who visit the pop-up will be “approved” and receive a $20 gift card. (They will not need to give any personally identifiable information.) At the back of the store is a secret entrance to a Chili’s speakeasy where people can try the new Big QP as part of a “3 for Me” for free. Chili’s is running ads for the pop-up in the New York City area. The satirical spots ask if viewers need a “vacation from inflation” because “fast food is for trillionaires.” Even though inflation reached a six-month low in March, restaurant prices are still up 3.8% year-over-year, according to the Consumer Price Index. “For those times when you can’t get to a Chili’s and find yourself settling for the drive-thru, we opened Fast Food Financing to help customers in their time of need,” George Felix, Chili’s chief marketing officer, stated in a press release. There are no Chili’s in New York City. The closest are in Glendale, New York, or Secaucus, New Jersey. The new campaign builds on Chili’s strategy of positioning itself as an alternative to “expensive” fast food. This time last year, the chain called out the Big Mac while introducing its new Big Smasher burger as part of its “3 for Me” deal, which began in 2022. The message seems to have landed with consumers. McDonald’s U.S. comparable sales were down 1.4% in the fourth quarter of 2024, while Chili’s same-store sales surged 31.4% for the chain’s fiscal 2025 second quarter, which ended in late December. For its part, McDonald’s has leaned into value with its McValue campaign starring John Cena. McValue is a “Buy One, Add One for $1” platform meant to appeal to price-sensitive customers.

Chili’s takes on McDonald’s Quarter Pounder in its latest value-driven campaign

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