Burger King is giving away free dollars to spend on its new $1 menu

Burger King is adding a new dollar menu, bucking the trend of fast food chains pushing customers to more expensive items as food and labor costs continue to climb.

The “$1 Your Way Menu,” which rolls out December 28, has four items: A bacon cheeseburger, Chicken Jr. sandwich, fries and a soft drink. Its arrival comes as economic uncertainty continues to affect millions of Americans despite a newly passed stimulus bill that includes small checks.

“Unlike other value menus, all items on Burger King’s newly unveiled menu are $1 a piece — that’s it,” the company said in a statement, knocking its rivals that offer broader discounted menus or require an additional purchase to access a $1 menu item.

To promote the new menu, Burger King is depositing $1 into “select customers Venmo accounts.”

Rising costs has resulted in dollar items disappearing from menus in recent years. McDonald’s dropped theirs in 2013 before bringing back a larger value menu four years later that included $1, $2 and $3 items. Fast food chains usually offer deeply discounted items through their apps as they continue to grow their digital operations and collect customer data for customized coupons.

Restaurant Brands International, which owns Burger King, said the burger chain has been struggling during the pandemic. In the three months that ended on September 30, sales at its restaurants open at least a year fell 7%. It said during its most earnings call that more value-driven items would be added to boost sales.

Burger King has made other changes because of the pandemic, including debuting two new restaurant designs that both have drive-thrus, burger pickup lockers, takeout counters and more.