This Abandoned McDonald's On Remote Alaskan Island Is Trending For Its Menu

Adak Island, Alaska, which has a sparse population of 154, has recently made headlines thanks to a surprising discovery by photographer and YouTuber Chris Luckhardt. Luckhardt stumbled upon an abandoned McDonald’s on the island, frozen in time with a menu that hasn’t been updated since 1994, leaving visitors astonished at the price differences compared to today.

The island, once uninhabited, served as a US naval base during World War II and the Cold War. The McDonald’s, seemingly untouched since the ‘90s, still features advertisements for dino-size fries, a nod to the era’s fascination with the original Jurassic Park movie.

For those curious about the cost of a meal in 1994, a Big Mac would have set you back $4.59 (Rs 144.02 as per 1994 exchange rate), six Chicken Nuggets were a steal at $2.35 (Rs 73.81) and a kids hamburger Happy Meal was a reasonable $3.36 (Rs 105.60). Fast forward to today, and a Big Mac now costs $8.39 (Rs 695.71 as per current exchange rate), six chicken nuggets are $4.79 (Rs 397.19) and a Happy Meal goes for $5.99 (Rs 496.70). Quite the jump, isn’t it?

Kids lucky enough to order a Happy Meal back then would have received a toy tie-in from Bobby’s World, an animated series that captured the imagination of ‘90s kids. And if you were an early riser, an egg McMuffin in the ‘90s would have set you back $1.95 (Rs 61.36), while today it’s $3.99 (Rs 330.86).

David Klyman, a financial strategist at Klyman Financial, told HuffPost that McDonald’s prices are influenced by inflation, gas prices, commercial property prices, interest rates, health insurance costs, car prices, flight expenses for transporting food across the country, and other factors.

Despite regional economic factors such as property taxes, minimum wage, cost of rent, and other goods, franchise owners have the autonomy to set their own prices. This means that McDonald’s prices can vary by location, as franchisees adjust prices to suit local conditions. To help consumers compare prices across different locations, British marketing executive Sacha Fournier created the McCheapest tool, which collects and displays various McDonald’s price points across America. For example, as of Tuesday afternoon, the cheapest Big Mac can be found in Stigler, Oklahoma, priced at $3.49 (Rs 289.40), which represents a $1.04 (Rs 32.61) increase from the 1994 menu price.