McDonald’s is chasing something it believes will bring customers back through its golden arches: value.

The world’s biggest burger chain has returned to a familiar pitch — affordable meals, snack-sized indulgences, and the promise of getting more for less.

But behind the counter, not everyone is cheering, CNBC reports.

The company has spent the last year and a half trying to reconnect with price-sensitive diners, spotlighting Extra Value Meals and reviving favorites like Snack Wraps.

The strategy is expected to lift sales in the near term, reinforcing the idea that bargain messaging still resonates with customers deciding where to spend their money.

Yet value, it turns out, is complicated when nearly all of your restaurants are run by independent operators.

About 95% of McDonald’s locations are franchised, and those owners live with the consequences of pricing decisions on their balance sheets.

Starting Jan. 1, McDonald’s rolled out updated franchise standards that include evaluating stores on how well their pricing communicates value to customers.

The ubiquitous fast-food chain insists that owners remain free to set their own prices.

Still, the new assessments effectively shape how operators are judged, raising concern among some franchisees that autonomy could be squeezed by corporate expectations.

A group of owners pushed back by formalizing what they see as fundamental rights. The National Owners Association circulated a “Franchisee Bill of Rights,” emphasizing that operators must retain the ability to set menu prices according to local business conditions — without fear of penalties or diminished support.

In a survey of franchisees conducted by Kalinowski Equity Research, every respondent opposed the new national standards — a rare moment of unanimous dissent.

Meanwhile, Wall Street has largely rewarded McDonald’s direction. The company’s stock outperformed much of the restaurant sector last year, and analysts see its renewed value focus as a potential engine for earnings growth.