Food fight: It’s 40¢ burgers versus $100 hot dogs in race for consumers

First there were the free fries, then came the $100 hot dogs.

Food with extreme prices, high and low, is being dished up in Australia and New Zealand as food retailers find fresh ways to treat consumers and tap into their appetite for spending.

Just weeks after its controversial venture in Sydney last month where thousands of customers sampled free serves of loaded fries dispensed from a pop-up store in Glebe, McDonald’s has launched a one-day-only “retrofit” of a store in Auckland.

The McDonald’s Fries With That pop-up store in Glebe. Photo: Rebecca Holland

For four hours over the lunchtime peak, the Queen Street store offered its original 1976 menu – at the same 1976 prices – to celebrate McDonald’s 40th anniversary in New Zealand.

Stuff.co.nz reported that lines were snaking out the doors of the store, which also showed off 70s decor, as customers queued to buy Big Macs for 75 cents, fries for 45 cents and cheeseburgers for 40 cents.

Between 10am and 2pm, Big Macs were 75 cents, fries 45 cents, and the classic McDonald’s cheeseburger a measly 40 cents. In Australian terms, that’s 70 cents, 42 cents and 37 cents.

However, there was a limit of six items per person.

“The Big Macs have gotten smaller … or maybe I’ve just gotten bigger. I’m not sure,” said customer Hayden Tungatt, 23, who was on to his third burger.

McDonald’s original 1976 menu. Photo: Supplied

New Zealand’s first McDonald’s store opened in Porirua on June 7, 1976, with a modest 100 or so diners queued up outside the restaurant before it opened at 10am.

But while fast food fans feast on fare that’s almost free, a hot dog has turned up at the other end of the crazy price scale.

The very special “haute” dog was available at the Melbourne Good Food and Wine Show at the weekend as part of a promotion by French mustard and condiment company Maille.

Ever wondered what a $100 hot dog looks like? Photo: Daniel Paproth, The Weekly Review

The Maille Mustard Mobile van. Photo: Supplied

Why $100? The burger in a bun was topped with what Maille calls the world’s most exclusive mustard, made with Chablis wine and black truffles. A complimentary 100ml bottle of the same gourmet garnish took some of the heat out of the deal.

Of course a three-figure price isn’t going to cut the mustard for many buyers, no matter how hungry. “Cheap” hot dogs for $10 or $25 were also available from the food truck, which was designed to look like the shopfront a Maille store in the south of France.

Reporter Daniel Paproth, of The Weekly Review, splurged for the $100 version and found the first bite overwhelming before the heat gave way to what he described as a smooth, creamy and unforgettable flavour.

“I’ve never tried anything like it,” Paproth said.

There are two La Maison Maille boutiques in Australia – in Mosman, Sydney, and Mt Eliza, Melbourne – which stock the full range of products, including dressings, vinegars and mustards on tap.