Wendy's offers $1, $2 burgers for March Madness closely following 'surge pricing' controversy

March Madness is rapidly approaching, and what better way to get in the team spirit than with discounted, mouthwatering cheeseburgers?

Wendy’s is bringing the heat for March Madness by offering a $1 Dave’s Single and $2 Dave’s Double to customers through the Wendy’s app until Wednesday, April 10. The offered discount comes right after the company faced backlash on social media for "surge pricing."

Wendy's discounts for March Madness

Wendy's announced that customers who visit the company's app can add a Dave's Single or Dave's Double to the cart and then visit the Wendy's offers page to add the discount to the order.

A Dave's Single features a quarter-pound of fresh beef, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, ketchup, mayo and onion on a toasted bun, according to Wendy's online menu. The burger is about 590 calories.

A Dave's Double has the same toppings as a Dave's Single but features a half-pound of fresh beef instead of a quarter-pound. The burger contains about 860 calories.

Others are reading: Wendy's to roll out surge pricing where prices on menu items fluctuate based on demand

Wendy's March Madness discount follows 'surge pricing' controversy; customers outraged on social media

Wendy’s intends to implement a dynamic pricing model as soon as 2025, which means prices would fluctuate based on time, location and demand. Such systems, often seen in ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft, change menu pricing digitally at different parts of the day, depending on the amount of customer traffic.

“Beginning as early as 2025, we will begin testing a variety of enhanced features on these digital menu boards like dynamic pricing, different offerings in certain parts of the day, AI-enabled menu changes and suggestive selling based on factors such as weather,” Wendy’s said, as reported by USA Today.

Wendy’s March Madness discounts come after the backlash and frustrations expressed about price surging by customers via social media in the past month.

According to a Feb. 28 post from Robert Reich on X, formerly Twitter, the announcement is extremely frustrating as corporations test consumers' limits.

“While Wendy’s plans to price gouge you with Uber-style surge pricing, it’s simultaneously enriching wealthy shareholders with a $500 million stock buyback program,” said the post. “That’s the thing about corporate greed: It’s shameless.”

Another X post from user @jerzygirl45 said, “I get the price surge for an Uber or Lyft but for a Wendy’s Burger?!”

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Wendy's announces March Madness deal after backlash for 'surge pricing'