Wendy’s has spoken to its manager after suggestions that it plans to introduce “surge pricing” to its menu received a decidedly frosty response this week, with the company scrambling to clarify that it has no intention of making itself the Uber of fast-food chains.
The concept of surge pricing for something that was supposed to be a side job for drivers makes sense. During a blizzard, if driving Uber is my side hustle, there’s no way I’m getting in the car to pick up some schmuck after he drank too much at Applebee’s. But if I can charge more for that ride, I will start to consider it.
But then the “gig” job became people’s full time job and everything, as it must, went to shit.
But for Wendy’s? The meat is there. The employee is there. Everything is already there, ready and waiting to make burgers. So surge pricing isn’t correcting a supply/demand imbalance - it’s just on-demand price gouging.