Wendy's targets McDonald's broken McFlurry machines with a $1 Frosty

new York
CNN
—

McDonald's is notorious for its broken ice cream machines – there's even an independent website that monitors broken McFlurry machines. So Wendy's takes advantage.

Wendy's is selling small, frozen dairy Frosty desserts for $1 through September 30 – and is partnering with McBroken, which is reporting which McDonald's locations have broken ice cream machines.

The temporary price reduction could also attract price-conscious customers who don't eat out as often and spend less, which could lead to a decline in fast food sales and a decline in restaurant dining.

The Wendy's Frosty “was the go-to choice for sweet treats when fans were feeling cravings while the other guys' ice cream machines were offline – often for two to three hours at a time,” the chain said in a news release without mentioning any reason McDonald's.

According to McBroken's data, nearly 15% of McDonald's ice cream machines were broken as of Thursday. They are most often unavailable between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., with Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, New York and Los Angeles being the hardest-hit cities.

Wendy's has added its restaurant locations, represented by its logo, to the McBroken map to show fans where they can get a “reliable and delicious option.” There is also an ad at the top of the website promoting the $1 Frosty special.

McBroken was founded several years ago by Rashiq Zahid, who was also frustrated by the lack of working ice cream machines at McDonald's. He previously told CNN that it works using data from McDonald's iOS and Android apps.

If the ice cream machine is offline, the McDonald's app will remove the ice cream order from the cart, he said. In this case, a red dot will appear on the mcbroken.com map indicating that the location is unavailable.

In response, McDonald's previously told CNN: “It's exciting to see customer passion translated into customer-innovated solutions to further make this experience a reality.”

The war between Wendy's and McDonald's over cold desserts has heated up in recent years. Wendy's has added limited-time flavors, from pumpkin spice to peppermint, to boost Frosty's popularity. McDonald's also often promotes new flavors for its McFlurry, but recently added a miniature size as customers increasingly look for value.