This is a verbatim cut-and-paste from CBS news:
Patrons of Wendy's may soon pay varying prices for their burgers, as the fast-food chain intends to bring Uber-like surge pricing to its menu.
"As early as 2025, we plan to test a number of features such as AI-enabled menu changes and suggestive selling based on factors, such as weather, that we think will provide great value and an improved customer and crew experience," a Wendy's spokesperson told CBS News in an email.
The strategy involves so-called dynamic pricing — also known as surge pricing — which has the cost of a product or service fluctuating based on factors like rush hour and whether it's raining.
Wendy's CEO Kirk Tanner told an earnings call earlier this month that Wendy's is investing $20 million to roll out digital menu boards to all U.S. company-operated restaurants by the end of 2025.
"Beginning as early as 2025, we will begin testing more enhanced features like dynamic pricing and daypart offerings, along with AI-enabled menu changes and suggestive selling," he added. "As we continue to show the benefit of this technology in our company-operated restaurants, franchisee interest in digital menu boards should increase, further supporting sales and profit growth across the system." (Emphasis--mine--added)
I don't eat fast food, Wendy's or anyone else's. But if I did it would end when this begins.
I wonder how customers will react to this.... should be interesting, even entertaining.