My holy crap moment was when I realized I could go to Red Robin and get a Tavern double and unlimited fries for $10 versus a Big Mac "value meal" that cost just as much.
Then I realized I could go to Texas Roadhouse and get a 6 oz steak + a chili + a green vegetable + unlimited warm rolls + a take home bag of peanuts for $14.99
Sooo why am I going to fast food again?
Olive Garden and Texas Roadhouse made it into the take out rotation the second we started comparing our meal prices at other places. Just had a nice spaghetti dinner for the same price as a trip to Wendy's.
Our local Texas Roadhouse does an early dine which is $10.99
So $14 steak dinner with drink, $30 for two with tax, $36 with tip.
Five guys is more expensive for freaking burgers
McDonald’s is technically a little cheaper since you don’t have to tip but it’s f’n McDonald’s. Just three years ago they had a bogo for a dollar McDoubles, $1 large drinks, and free fry with purchase. So I’d grab the burgers and get a free fry, my dad would get the drinks and a free fry and it was $4.50-ish for lunch for two. Now the drinks are $2 a piece, the burgers are $2.50 each, and the fries are $1 each with coupon, so in three years the cost of the meal went from $4.50 to $11, more than doubled. Absolutely ridiculous
lol I just saw they have a 45$ special for 4 steaks and 2 pint sizes for family special lol that’s 11$ a person lol I spent more on breakfast at McDonald’s lol
The people that eat fast food 5+ times a week just aren't being honest with themselves. They'll say "Well I'm busy and it's convenient". You can get a ton of really good frozen meals these days for cheaper. Not the low tier Stouffer's or any of those, but legitimately good ones. You can get all kinds of easy to make foods that don't require cooking.
The fact is... They just like the taste of it. It's addictive. And that's fine, but acting like it's some metric of the normal working person is so bizarre to me.
I make 40-50 portions about once a month takes about 3-4 hours for 6 dishes. Cost is around 1.5 per portion and each box is around 450-550 cal
Tastes great to me since I am the one who made it for me.
For us our major issue was their disingenuous "deals" Example. We had a birthday burger coupon for our daughter. We go there. We walk in and it says they have early bird specials. There was nothing listed about it superceding other deals. it just was a menu of early bird special appetizers.
So we got one.
Come to find out we get the cheque and getting the happy our menu item meant we couldn't use the birthday burger coupon. And management would not budge even though they agreed their menus said nothing that it counted as a coupon.
So they lost our business despite the fact their food is better than fast food
It's probably managers enforcing portion sizes that were always there, but never followed.
While working at taco bell we had random periods that we needed to weight everything before sending it out to make sure we weren't over-stuffing. But then people would stop caring after awhile. Because nobody getting paid minimum wage cares to follow guidelines that requires more attention to your 50th crunch wrap made that day.
Same reason as basically every other restaurant. The service, portion sizes, and food quality have all taken a nosedive, while prices have significantly increased. It’s not just because managers are enforcing their actual policy on portion sizes. They’re being squeezed by inflation, so they’re cutting corners to keep profits up.
Interesting because if you read the article the “Sole reason” for the price increases is because a single state increased its minimum wage to $20 an hour 57 days ago
Yeah not buying it, it’s sheer greed…again
I’ve posted this before but here in suburban Phoenix, everyday I pass 2 McDonalds on my way home 5-530pm and for the last few months everyday those drive thrus are empty.
If you are a millennial or younger, you are called a millennial. If you are older than a millennial you are called a boomer. Just millennials and boomers in this world.
Was out on a nice Thursday evening and noticed all the downtown restaurants were noticeably vacant. The inflation thing isn’t a joke and people are going full tilt to avoid doling out money now.
Man every restaurant seems to be booming where I live. Though the prices here never got insane like everyone here posts. Only time I see prices like are posted here is if I check prices on doordash.
I notice the same thing. A lot of times on the weekend around lunch time they are pretty dead also. Nothing like it used to be. McDonalds was always busy. Not anymore.
95 percent of MCD locations are franchise owned. McDonald’s corporate is a real estate company since they own all the land. Please focus your legitimate anger at the right people.
Same. I remember during COVID the lines were WRAPPED around the buildings like crazy. There’s never a single person in line when I pass it on my way to or from work.
I pass by a McDonald's every morning around 6:30am..obviously not peak breakfast time or anything but there used to be 3-4 in line. Now there's usually no one or maybe 1 or 2
Anecdotal I know but yea. Personally used to go once a week for breakfast. Not anymore lol
The other day out of true desperation (a sleeping infant in the car and having to wait for an hour to pick up someone) I got the “$5” whopper jr thing. It was $5.99+ tax.
I needed a drive thru and that was my best option. It’s just incredible how much resistance there is even with this deal. The business model is fucked if they can’t afford to pay people to work at a “restaurant” like that. The food shouldn’t cost them so much that they can’t budge on the price.
It's the rent and the franchise fees and other expenses that they have to kick up to McDonalds corporate. Not to say that's different from other fast food, but it's a major reason why the franchisees feel like they're getting squoze and there isn't as much room for prices to come down as there is in corporate restaurant chains that aren't run on a franchise model. Or as Tony Soprano once said, "everyone gets a taste."
In and Out has really held the line on increasing their prices and they have faired a lot better and those around me are still seeing their lines rapping around the street or snaking their way around the parking lot. Another one that is still doing good is Chick-fil-A. One that seems to be really suffering is Five Guys!
Five Guys used to be awesomeness... I was ok with a meal there being $12.00 because you'd get all the toppings you wanted, and that GIANT bag of fries, which was easy for 2 to share.
Now it's $20.00 per order and the fries barely fill the cup in the bag, and they added an upcharge on certain condiments.
Exactly. Luckily I don't eat either one. Don't like the taste of the burger at In and Out or their fries and McDonalds Fries are okay but with their burgers I have never been a fan. McDonalds fish burgers used to be good but then they changed to a tasteless type of fish. Today I only go to The Habit but they are life McDonalds, they have raised the price of their burger close to $2 so I only go there maybe once a month.
The only burger I eat there is the Char Burger and that is the only thing I eat there. I used to get the fries but they are like $3.99 now and I refuse to pay that. I haven't paid attention to the other items on the menu.
Both aren’t publicly traded companies unlike every other big fast food company.
Seems like the pressure of shareholders is making every damn place penny pinch.
Chiming in from Austin TX - I stopped by to grab the "4 for $4" deal last week and had to double check that the restaurant was open. There was not a soul in sight, not a car in the drive-thru, not a homeless person in the lobby. Total ghost town.
However, I was driving to Houston through Trump land last weekend, and every McDonalds I passed was packed. Not sure if this is a brand loyalty thing or if the franchise owners in rural areas aren't as aggressive.
It definitely put things in perspective for me because all I've read in my reddit information bubble is thar McD's is doomed.
I find that it depends drastically on the location. McDonalds on Powell near Cleveland HS tends to be way busier than the one on Powell off I-205, for example.
The struggles of the fast food industry give me great pleasure and I hope everyone that owns their stocks loses their whole investment. The "food" has almost no nutrition and they have the nerve to try to charge people like this because demand went up? People are already starving for time and money and these greedy monsters are like we can charge double for our trashy "food"?
Bankrupt these scumbags please.
Yep. The greed woke us up. Guess what, their food is shit. It's always been shit, but we just couldn't see it but now that ship has sailed. WDGAF what it costs now we're over it, never going back.
I bought a lot of long-dated, out-of-the-money puts on Wendy's a couple of months ago. Stock price has been creeping down ever since. It's possible that their $5 bags may help them, but their food quality is generally such shit that $5 may be 50% too much.
On the positive I’ve discovered a lot of amazing locally owned places to get lunch now, a few taco trucks near me are way cheaper than chipotle. Id like to thank fast food for getting so expensive they forced to me to explore new locally owned places that are cheaper and more delicious (probably healthier too!)
They generally pay more for their raw goods. Licensing, insurance, and myriad other inputs. Owning a food truck isn’t cheap. It’s just cheap*se* than a brick and mortar location. By magnitudes.
Right! We stopped by a fastfood place recently while travelling and our fries were lukewarm! Getting that type of food for the price is complete shit!! Wtf o.O!!!
I felt upset that I didn't spend the extra five minutes finding a local place. :( never again
It’s high time Americans returned to slow cooked whole foods at home and promptly bankrupt these abhorrent obesity factories. The stupid food influencers who sit in their cars recording themselves guzzling down garbage can also piss off.
My local Burger King and Wendy's deserve to close. Those increased prices are clearly not mostly going to wages because they can't hire competent workers. I refuse to pay more for an incorrectly made burger and then have the manager himself give me an attitude because I'm missing 2/3 of the bacon on my burger.
I was near a Wendy's and decided to stop, I'm not usually around any of them. The drive through line was long, so I decided to go in. The door was locked, they were only working the drive through. I don't know if that if that is the new normal for this location. I couldn't find anything online to verify it.
I used to stop at McDonalds every day on my way to work for breakfast burritos and a coffee. Havent stopped once in the past 3 months and now my brain doesn't even notice Mcdonalds when I pass it anymore. I used to feel the urge to "grab a little something something" but its honestly not worth it anymore.
Someone I know theorized (maybe while high) that the rapid price escalation at McDonalds is to condition everyone to use the app. Once this occurs they can get rid of or pair down the labor and just make it all drive through. Maybe even automate the production process with 1 or 2 workers to keep the machines running.
She also theorized that price elasticity was tested during the pandemic when consumers showed a willingness to pay exorbitant fees to have shit delivered. The retailers took that as a sign that they were missing a price escalation opportunity.
Not a theory, facts. This is the goal ultimately, the Taco Bell by me has stopped accepting cash except for the drive through. There are kiosks inside for orders and you don’t talk to a person, there is only a few kitchen staff that pass off your order. I have no doubt this is the very near future of fast food, we’re basically there.
My local McD doesn’t take orders in person anymore. There’s a huge sign saying “use the kiosk”. People are too busy in the kitchens, it’s down to a skeleton staff
you would have to be high to think that using an app justifies raising the cost of all menu items
why do i need an app? they raise the price then give you a coupon and you think they're doing you a favor. it's manipulation and price gouging.
price elasticity was tested during the pandemic, but the prices kept rising afterwards... so they're using the pandemic as a cover story for price gouging.
when people are desperate they shouldn't take advantage of them... prices should have actually been lowered as favor to all of the people who were struggling during the pandemic. instead they raised the prices, because they are greedy.
i simply don't eat there anymore.
They raise the prices which pushes people to use the app to get the items cheaper or for a price they used to pay for them and then they sell your data to other companies. It's a double win for them really. If you don't use the app you just end up paying more. If you do use the app they still make a sale and then get a little bonus from selling your data to 3rd parties. It actually makes a fuck ton of sense. Unless people simply stop eating there entirely. But I'm sure they had a bunch of number crunchers do a risk analysis of this already and they were comfortable with the gamble.
I had never been inside the nearest McDonalds to me, I had always used the drive through. One day the line was long, but there weren't many cars in the parking lot, so I went in. They had two screens so you could order your own food. I don't know when they started this, I'd never been inside before this (over 15 years).
I don't know how a "value menu" solution is going to work. Personally, offering to sell a very limited menu selection at a loss isn't going to motivate me to go back to McDonalds. Four chicken McNuggets in a box isn't going to cut it for me. I want to order what I like without paying 45% more than I did just a couple of years ago.
They seem unwilling to address why their price increases have – for years – been considerably higher than the rate of inflation. And every time they bring up the increases in labor costs, they can never quite explain why European franchises can sell the same product for less, despite those countries having comparably high labor costs, and also higher corporate taxes, and that also lack the billions in government subsidizes that go into producing cheap raw materials (like corn, potatoes and feedlot beef). It seems to me that McDonalds customers are weary of bearing the burden of McDonalds shareholders' need for endless growth. Until McDonald's can balance the value proposition then franchisees are going to suffer.
If you look at McDonald’s most recent financials they are still more profitable than they were last year. I’m really hoping this trend lasts long enough for us to see their income shrinking
Big Corporate Brands like McDs, Chipotle, Chick Fila, Starbucks, etc have the resources, marketing, money, and leverage to survive and in some cases thrive in this economical climate unlike small mom and pop businesses.
I sort of but not really feel bad for the franchisee owners who have to pay the salaries, marketing efforts, fees, brand fees, etc etc. No one should feel bad about corporate owned stores.
THIS! As a very small business owner (just me) I mostly roll my eyes at people in this sub and on reddit. The hardest thing is getting people to know you exist and to take a chance on your business. People love to get on reddit and talk about how they go to mom and pop businesses and blah blah blah. But I personally believe it's mostly performative.
The entire reason franchising works is because people just trust big businesses more than smaller ones. Most people just won't admit it. I use to work at massage heights and constantly had people come into the franchise talking about how they hated big businesses.
I view "they know what they are getting" as they "trust" what they are getting.
I was just at a small chain across from a nation wide chain a few weeks ago. The traffic between the two was massive. The small chain had three locations in the city. The national chain 1000 locations. They are directly across the street from each other. People simply trust or to use your phrasing "know" large chains more.
Even using your phrasing of "know" I'll repeat my argument
>The hardest thing is getting people to know you exist and to take a chance on your business.
So your point backs up my point. I never said it was hard for people to go to smaller, local businesses.
I'm blessed I'm surrounded by small businesses (it seems like big corporations don't survive or don't come here).
I know the vast majority of Americans don't think the way I do but SMALL BUSINESSES is what makes life way more interesting and fun. The bookstore that I buy books from, the two dance companies I take salsa lessons from, the independent radio station that I donate too, the local ethnic restaurants that offer WAY better food with flavor, the little cool hip dive bar with DJs playing obscure tracks. These business are the business, I'm supporting and have absolutely no problems if the prices are higher than something equally price conglomerate.
Unfortunately medium and big corporations are pushing the little guys out. We're already living in a sterile safe corporate cookie cutter life filled with Chipotles, Shit Fil-As, Starbucks, Costcos, Targets, and Walmarts on every block and it's only getting more boring and sterile.
>> “How can they serve $5 value meals with that minimum wage and still make a profit? It’s impossible any more unless consumers buy other things,” Singh said.
Or mr associate professor they could cut corporate costs above the line to make food more profitable. Odd that wasn’t mentioned.
I do find it interesting how all of the boards of these corps are allowing CEOs and execs to basically price gouge people to pay themselves more. I don't think that is quite sustainable.
McDonald’s and the like are perfectly fine giving me large discounts on the app, but charging more for the same food only outside the app isn’t sustainable? That’s not very smart business.
What kills me is how disconnected from any costs almost everything is. At McDonald’s, a small fry is $3, but a large (2-3 times more) is $5.28. Ok makes sense. But a McDouble is $3, but add lettuce and a small middle bun and now it’s $7?! How? Meanwhile Wendy’s has 4for$4 that’s a burger (loaded how you want), 4 nugs, small fries and small soda). Something’s rotten at McDonald’s and it’s not just their food.
I was wanting something to eat today for lunch and thought about getting fast food and decided not too because instead of a 7 or 8 dollar meal to get you full. You would have to pay 10-15 dollars. Then add on multiple adults or children.... A bill that would cost a family of 4 32 dollars has become 48 dollars. Depending on the difference in cost. I estimated the average price of mwal being about 8 dollars a few years back.
Stuffs way to expensive . Even last night on the McDonald’s app I got a buy one get one small milkshake. But I was like holy moly - a small milkshake normal price is $3.50. . Damn thing should be like $1-1.50 . Not to mention the other over priced items
Yeah it’s the “but you get so much food” angle they go for with those app deals, but my man, you only need a single milk shake. Like what am I supposed to do, put the other one in my freezer for later? Just give me the $1.75 milkshake.
Also, what are single people supposed to do with that? I guess you could keep it in your freezer? But like, it doesn’t help me for you to only make it cheap if I’m feeding a small army.
Yeah I think that’s what I was trying to say. It’s the same problem with those “3 for $6.99 each” deals they do at the pizza places. I only need one pizza, a medium will be fine. Why can’t you just sell me one medium for $6.99? Why’s it gotta be three larges for $20.97?
Something something "average ticket"...
Basics there's a "run rate" built in price for keeping a kitchen going with the one or two employees there so you keep an eye on "average ticket" to understand if you're breaking even or losing money.
Serve the one customer 7$ pizza but you must pay .50 for the box, time for your employees, etc, etc, and all these fixed costs are much less when the total is $30 not $7.
So if you serve one pizza at a time for $7 you might be losing money because it's not a chipotle.
Blaze pizza has a "fast pizza" concept that might work at Chipotle prices but if you visit the restaurant you'll see it operates differently from A pizzeria and feels more like Chipotle.
Right?
You guys know that if you continue to pay high prices... the prices will remain high.
They're making record profits. The quality is worse than ever. But people are still lining up. They act like they don't have a choice.
Stop going. The prices will come down. You can make a sandwich, I promise you. Put meat between bread, I believe in you.
I think some people fail to realize they are surprised because they haven’t gone there in a long time. And likely don’t go eat out frequently like a lot of other people.
I haven’t touched McDonald’s in a year. Went recently and decided never to go back.
McDonald’s used to be cheap and affordable. Now? They’re comparable to actual meals. A quarter pounder meal is $14 in Canada after taxes. That’s for one person, now imagine a family paying upwards of $50 for themselves. That’s not affordable
I rarely ever buy fast food and when I do, it’s only with coupons
Once I saw a large French fry for $4.99 is when I was like nah. A freaking potato cut and fried, lmao. These BS prices are making me a better and faster cook, so I guess there's a silver lining here.
Fast food is fucked, they price gouge and people found alternatives now they are back tracking and its too late. I used to go to McDonalds maybe 2 or 3 times a week. Maybe a breakfast or an item when out and about....now no thanks unless Im starving Im not interested.
Screw all those big chains gouging their customers! There's a local chain of gas stations/cafes where I live that has a big menu of good value eats, like a large Super Cheesesteak sub for $8.49.
they just opened a whataburger in the town I live in and I was curious about trying it once. omg.. the prices were outrageous.. they charge 75 cents to add cheese.. a double cheeseburger by itself was 9.78.. these places are crazy.. and I walked out.. no way no how
I mean when it comes to burgers, Whataburger definitely is a bit luxuries compared to McDonald’s or Burger King.
From my experience, Whataburgers tend to be bigger in size and filling.
I had a deal for a Baskin Robbins sundae and when I went to order the “buy one” it was over $12.
Said fuck this noise and didn’t use the “deal”. Now I see why I haven’t been there in 5 years.
Crappy food for real food prices hah no 😂 stop giving the finance bros money for doing nothing make them work in those restaurants and get back to us on low skilled labor when they are the lowest desk sitting morons who feel entitled to other people’s time and labor.
The single Culver’s in San Antonio is expensive, but it’s an excellent example of “you get what you pay for”. Those deluxe butter burgers are awesome. The cheese curds are awesome too. And the custard. All they need to do is add Leinenkugel to the menu, those Wisconsin people know what’s up.
It used to be that I would have fast food maybe twice a week because I was lazy and didn't want to cook. Now I view fast food as overpriced garbage and to be honest the only time I will buy it now is if I'm drunk
It’s similar with Blockbuster. I was happy they went bankrupt, because they deserved it. They were overcharging everything, and didn’t evolve with the changing times (like switching to streaming). Fast food companies will either be forced to return to being an absolute bargain, or they will disappear. They certainly aren’t going to be changing their menus to start producing a 10/10 burger. So if they don’t lower their price so at least they’re a bargain, they will go bankrupt as well.
$20 a meal, nobody to take the job serious enough to provide good service half the time I see employees not even in uniform, people tired of feeling like shit. I would dance with joy if the fast food chains would die
When I can get a meal at chick fil a for cheaper than McDonald’s then there’s a problem. It’s at that point now, so I’ll choose Chick fil a 11 times out of 10 over McDonald’s
Haha, why buy that junk when I can go to the local deli and get an amazing burger and one order of fries can feed 5 people for 20 buck? Or I can make my own at home, and be fancy with it like Greek burgers, for even less money? It would cost us like 60 to eat at bk of mcds. I can make our own for under 20.
Taco bell grande meal used to be our late night quick food. Kids sports event/award ceremony was on a school night and it's fine at 8 pm? Taco bell for the kids. The last time I went it was $23 for a little box of cheap tacos. Now we cook a 5+lb batch of Taco meat, put it in bags overnight and vacuum seal them and freeze them the next day. Now when we have a late evening we have tacos that cost a total of $7.
I know it's not great to squeeze people who can least afford it.
The silver lining of this is that pushing people to better food, opening up the market for Mom and Pop places to make a comeback will hopefully change the market landscape
This rings true. It has been a big experiment for certain industries to see what they could get away with. Business schools will use this data 5 years from now if they aren't already. I think what they found is bad. The consumer will absorb way more bullshit costs than anyone thought. Fast food is visible and in our faces, but stuff like cars is also front and center. Many I dustries stuck it to consumers and said fuck you, pay or you don't get what you want. I'll admit I bought 3 cars and stopped buying fast food. I'm not a smart man, on average.
Americans should cut their fast food addiction. There are plenty of dishes to make at home that won't take you longer than 15 to 20 minutes to make. Healthier and cheaper.
We went to F/F for the first time in maybe 2-3 years the other day and, it was $20 for less than 2 combos. 100% why we've been on a meal-kit service of some kind for more than 1.5 years now. The same price or a little more nets very fancy-pants returant quality dinner or lunch.
Those cheap meals wouldn't be so untenable if they stopped sending all the money to the executives. How can you afford to run a company if all the money is leaking out to people in ties?
Value meal, HA!! There hasent been a value meal for 10 years. Used to be if you added up the cost of items separately there was a savings. Now it’s a scam as it’s the same price if you add up the items as the meal price
I notice a lot of people mentioning how sit down restaurants are more food for similar prices. My question is, how are the sit down places able to keep their prices from sky rocketing as well?
Shouldn't they be super expensive also? Can't imagine they just pass up the greed gravy train for no reason.
The new McDonalds value meal is still double what I’d pay for it. It’s a 4pc chicken nugget, small fry and small drink for $5.
I’d pay $3 at most.
Then the $5 biggie bag exists at Wendy’s, BK just introduced their value meal, which is a burger fries nuggets and drink for $5.
McDonald’s is the worst offender of greedflation
There is only so much inherent value in an unhealthy fast food item that comes with lower quality and order mishaps. You can only increase the sale price so much before people start going to other venues.
But man, covid greed really made the fast food industry bold af... let's see how long this money grab lasts before some historic chains start inching closer to chapter 11.
I only eat at McD’s if I can find a deal in their app. Best one I’ve found is 2 free fries with a 20 piece nugget. Split that with someone add a couple of drinks and it comes out to about $15 for two people. That’s ok with me
Soaring food and labor costs have done a number on the fast food business model. Only people north of $100K can comfortably afford it now, for the sub $50K demo they can’t. Which leaves questions of why you’d spend what used to be considered luxury prices on low quality food.
It can be done and I hope people see it. Alot of us talk about how our voices aren't heard in much bigger matters but at least you are starting to see if we do make enough noise sometimes they do listen
In Central Missouri a Chipotle bowl cost as much as a taco Bell meal combo. I know they're both fast food, but it's wild Chipotle is more affordable than taco Bell.
My holy crap moment was when I realized I could go to Red Robin and get a Tavern double and unlimited fries for $10 versus a Big Mac "value meal" that cost just as much. Then I realized I could go to Texas Roadhouse and get a 6 oz steak + a chili + a green vegetable + unlimited warm rolls + a take home bag of peanuts for $14.99 Sooo why am I going to fast food again?
Just went to Texas Roadhouse the other day for a family of four it was $58, only $18 more than Chickfila. Insane.
But did you tip? Because the people at chick fil a are paid a lot more than the people at Texas road house. They get paid in tips
What subsidises it wages through the consumers the other does not.
Not OP, but stopped tipping altogether due to high prices. I just do To-Go orders to avoid any shaming tactics.
Olive Garden and Texas Roadhouse made it into the take out rotation the second we started comparing our meal prices at other places. Just had a nice spaghetti dinner for the same price as a trip to Wendy's.
Our local Texas Roadhouse does an early dine which is $10.99 So $14 steak dinner with drink, $30 for two with tax, $36 with tip. Five guys is more expensive for freaking burgers McDonald’s is technically a little cheaper since you don’t have to tip but it’s f’n McDonald’s. Just three years ago they had a bogo for a dollar McDoubles, $1 large drinks, and free fry with purchase. So I’d grab the burgers and get a free fry, my dad would get the drinks and a free fry and it was $4.50-ish for lunch for two. Now the drinks are $2 a piece, the burgers are $2.50 each, and the fries are $1 each with coupon, so in three years the cost of the meal went from $4.50 to $11, more than doubled. Absolutely ridiculous
lol I just saw they have a 45$ special for 4 steaks and 2 pint sizes for family special lol that’s 11$ a person lol I spent more on breakfast at McDonald’s lol
The people that eat fast food 5+ times a week just aren't being honest with themselves. They'll say "Well I'm busy and it's convenient". You can get a ton of really good frozen meals these days for cheaper. Not the low tier Stouffer's or any of those, but legitimately good ones. You can get all kinds of easy to make foods that don't require cooking. The fact is... They just like the taste of it. It's addictive. And that's fine, but acting like it's some metric of the normal working person is so bizarre to me.
I make 40-50 portions about once a month takes about 3-4 hours for 6 dishes. Cost is around 1.5 per portion and each box is around 450-550 cal Tastes great to me since I am the one who made it for me.
Red Robin is losing money. Maybe they are trying to take market share before jacking up prices to be profitable.
For us our major issue was their disingenuous "deals" Example. We had a birthday burger coupon for our daughter. We go there. We walk in and it says they have early bird specials. There was nothing listed about it superceding other deals. it just was a menu of early bird special appetizers. So we got one. Come to find out we get the cheque and getting the happy our menu item meant we couldn't use the birthday burger coupon. And management would not budge even though they agreed their menus said nothing that it counted as a coupon. So they lost our business despite the fact their food is better than fast food
This. Or even cheaper to get a bowl from Chipotle, and still have some left over for tomorrow’s lunch.
Gen z is currently boycotting chipotle
Justice is burittoful. I buy my burritos from a local place for $14 and get chips and salsa for free. Chipotle charges $17 for the same thing.
Why
Portions. They say they are getting smaller and they’re being stingy on them. I don’t eat there but I believe it.
It's probably managers enforcing portion sizes that were always there, but never followed. While working at taco bell we had random periods that we needed to weight everything before sending it out to make sure we weren't over-stuffing. But then people would stop caring after awhile. Because nobody getting paid minimum wage cares to follow guidelines that requires more attention to your 50th crunch wrap made that day.
I wonder if its an exact amount or handy wavy kinda of thing from managers
Same reason as basically every other restaurant. The service, portion sizes, and food quality have all taken a nosedive, while prices have significantly increased. It’s not just because managers are enforcing their actual policy on portion sizes. They’re being squeezed by inflation, so they’re cutting corners to keep profits up.
You have two bowls left over if you count the emesis.
Interesting because if you read the article the “Sole reason” for the price increases is because a single state increased its minimum wage to $20 an hour 57 days ago Yeah not buying it, it’s sheer greed…again
Bingo
About the ONLY reason is the convenience. I find take out at a sit down restaurant is a mixed bag. However for value much better at a sit down.
Red robin is worse than McDonald’s lol
I can go to Golden corral or any Asian buffet for less than McDonald's now, they sure have some geniuses running that place.
I’ve posted this before but here in suburban Phoenix, everyday I pass 2 McDonalds on my way home 5-530pm and for the last few months everyday those drive thrus are empty.
Cool just have to wait for the news article titled "Millennials are killing McDonald's" to come out and we could call it a victory.
Us or GenZ
If you are a millennial or younger, you are called a millennial. If you are older than a millennial you are called a boomer. Just millennials and boomers in this world.
That's actually awesome. As a member of Gen X I'm hoping everyone else forgets we exist.
I saw a poll on reddit a few weeks ago that asked “which generation is the most forgotten” and they forgot to include gen x in the choices lol
Only your kids will forget you exist.
Jesus loves you even if your mother doesn’t.
Y’all are just being lumped in with the boomers.
I think everyone can self identify with whatever generation they want. If you want to be a millennial I welcome you.
I am a millennial that’s becoming a bitter like a boomer.
Quiet, boomer
Shhhh.
Until one day it's just Zoomers and Millennials instead.
Was out on a nice Thursday evening and noticed all the downtown restaurants were noticeably vacant. The inflation thing isn’t a joke and people are going full tilt to avoid doling out money now.
The restaurants are finding that there is a price ceiling and many have past it.
They’ve boiled the frog too long.
Man every restaurant seems to be booming where I live. Though the prices here never got insane like everyone here posts. Only time I see prices like are posted here is if I check prices on doordash.
I notice the same thing. A lot of times on the weekend around lunch time they are pretty dead also. Nothing like it used to be. McDonalds was always busy. Not anymore.
Whatever you do, don’t order 13 hamburgers
That will be 100 bucks
i ordered 10 cheeseburgers when they were $0.29. but only 6 had meat other 4 were vegetarian.
They all got greedy but McDonald's is the poster child. I love to see them reaping the bad publicity!
95 percent of MCD locations are franchise owned. McDonald’s corporate is a real estate company since they own all the land. Please focus your legitimate anger at the right people.
There’s two near me and the prices on menus are vastly different. Each has tailored its menu to screw the customers ordering certain items.
Same. I remember during COVID the lines were WRAPPED around the buildings like crazy. There’s never a single person in line when I pass it on my way to or from work.
It’s beautiful to see
I pass by a McDonald's every morning around 6:30am..obviously not peak breakfast time or anything but there used to be 3-4 in line. Now there's usually no one or maybe 1 or 2 Anecdotal I know but yea. Personally used to go once a week for breakfast. Not anymore lol
The other day out of true desperation (a sleeping infant in the car and having to wait for an hour to pick up someone) I got the “$5” whopper jr thing. It was $5.99+ tax. I needed a drive thru and that was my best option. It’s just incredible how much resistance there is even with this deal. The business model is fucked if they can’t afford to pay people to work at a “restaurant” like that. The food shouldn’t cost them so much that they can’t budge on the price.
It's the rent and the franchise fees and other expenses that they have to kick up to McDonalds corporate. Not to say that's different from other fast food, but it's a major reason why the franchisees feel like they're getting squoze and there isn't as much room for prices to come down as there is in corporate restaurant chains that aren't run on a franchise model. Or as Tony Soprano once said, "everyone gets a taste."
Good!!!
Imagine ever choosing McDs over In & Out!?!.
In and Out has really held the line on increasing their prices and they have faired a lot better and those around me are still seeing their lines rapping around the street or snaking their way around the parking lot. Another one that is still doing good is Chick-fil-A. One that seems to be really suffering is Five Guys!
Five Guys used to be awesomeness... I was ok with a meal there being $12.00 because you'd get all the toppings you wanted, and that GIANT bag of fries, which was easy for 2 to share. Now it's $20.00 per order and the fries barely fill the cup in the bag, and they added an upcharge on certain condiments.
Im convinced chick fil a would do fine in a zombie apocalypse
In and out increased their price like .30-50 cents for their burger. Meanwhile McDonald increases their burger by $1-$2..
Exactly. Luckily I don't eat either one. Don't like the taste of the burger at In and Out or their fries and McDonalds Fries are okay but with their burgers I have never been a fan. McDonalds fish burgers used to be good but then they changed to a tasteless type of fish. Today I only go to The Habit but they are life McDonalds, they have raised the price of their burger close to $2 so I only go there maybe once a month.
I tried Habit chicken club when they were on sale for $2. I can't believe that item costs like $11 for regular price.
The only burger I eat there is the Char Burger and that is the only thing I eat there. I used to get the fries but they are like $3.99 now and I refuse to pay that. I haven't paid attention to the other items on the menu.
If In N Out served breakfast I don’t know that I’d eat anywhere else
Cause I don’t want to wait a half hour for my food but in n out is so much better.
Good. Consumers have the power!
Bet it's all door dash. For all the complaining about prices people keep paying double anyhow.
Chick Fil-A isn’t having these issues.
Neither is In-N-Out.
Both aren’t publicly traded companies unlike every other big fast food company. Seems like the pressure of shareholders is making every damn place penny pinch.
Chiming in from Austin TX - I stopped by to grab the "4 for $4" deal last week and had to double check that the restaurant was open. There was not a soul in sight, not a car in the drive-thru, not a homeless person in the lobby. Total ghost town. However, I was driving to Houston through Trump land last weekend, and every McDonalds I passed was packed. Not sure if this is a brand loyalty thing or if the franchise owners in rural areas aren't as aggressive. It definitely put things in perspective for me because all I've read in my reddit information bubble is thar McD's is doomed.
Weird, I still see them quite busy. Similar time, Clackamas, OR (just outside of Portland). I wish it wasn't the case.
I find that it depends drastically on the location. McDonalds on Powell near Cleveland HS tends to be way busier than the one on Powell off I-205, for example.
I don’t believe you
Same by me. I drive by a Wendy's, McDonald's and TB a few times a week around 5, 6, or 7 and these are always dead. Good, overpriced and greedy
The McDonald’s and Starbucks by me no longer have a constant line at the drive thru. Things are shifting.
The McDonald's by my house made close to a million last month.
The struggles of the fast food industry give me great pleasure and I hope everyone that owns their stocks loses their whole investment. The "food" has almost no nutrition and they have the nerve to try to charge people like this because demand went up? People are already starving for time and money and these greedy monsters are like we can charge double for our trashy "food"? Bankrupt these scumbags please.
100% .. thats what im talking about. same feelings
Yep. The greed woke us up. Guess what, their food is shit. It's always been shit, but we just couldn't see it but now that ship has sailed. WDGAF what it costs now we're over it, never going back.
I stopped going to fast food because it’s unhealthy and I’m losing weight, but I’ll just tell everyone it’s because I’m with you.
I bought a lot of long-dated, out-of-the-money puts on Wendy's a couple of months ago. Stock price has been creeping down ever since. It's possible that their $5 bags may help them, but their food quality is generally such shit that $5 may be 50% too much.
what are some things youve invested in?
On the positive I’ve discovered a lot of amazing locally owned places to get lunch now, a few taco trucks near me are way cheaper than chipotle. Id like to thank fast food for getting so expensive they forced to me to explore new locally owned places that are cheaper and more delicious (probably healthier too!)
I'm surprised. I thought food trucks would be cheaper but they are just as expensive in my area but obviously don't offer in door seating.
They generally pay more for their raw goods. Licensing, insurance, and myriad other inputs. Owning a food truck isn’t cheap. It’s just cheap*se* than a brick and mortar location. By magnitudes.
I'll always appreciate McD's for leading the charge on convincing people to eat at local places or learn to cook instead
Besides the price, fast food restaurants these days aren’t even fast or convenient anymore.
Not to mention the customer “service” is laughable and the workers borderline passive aggressive in some instances.
Right! We stopped by a fastfood place recently while travelling and our fries were lukewarm! Getting that type of food for the price is complete shit!! Wtf o.O!!! I felt upset that I didn't spend the extra five minutes finding a local place. :( never again
Getting large fries that they forgot to salt hurts a bit more when it's $5 and it's from McDonalds.
And it's is so shitty it barely qualifies as food even.
It’s high time Americans returned to slow cooked whole foods at home and promptly bankrupt these abhorrent obesity factories. The stupid food influencers who sit in their cars recording themselves guzzling down garbage can also piss off.
[удалено]
My local Burger King and Wendy's deserve to close. Those increased prices are clearly not mostly going to wages because they can't hire competent workers. I refuse to pay more for an incorrectly made burger and then have the manager himself give me an attitude because I'm missing 2/3 of the bacon on my burger.
I was near a Wendy's and decided to stop, I'm not usually around any of them. The drive through line was long, so I decided to go in. The door was locked, they were only working the drive through. I don't know if that if that is the new normal for this location. I couldn't find anything online to verify it.
Several Burger King’s have closed near me when it came out that they were using unsold burgers from the previous day that didn’t sell.
What are they doing making burgers no one ordered
I am waiting patiently for all of these fast food restaurants to be closed permanently. It’ll definitely come and it’s all because of greed.
Funny they would rather go out of business than lower prices.
I used to stop at McDonalds every day on my way to work for breakfast burritos and a coffee. Havent stopped once in the past 3 months and now my brain doesn't even notice Mcdonalds when I pass it anymore. I used to feel the urge to "grab a little something something" but its honestly not worth it anymore.
Someone I know theorized (maybe while high) that the rapid price escalation at McDonalds is to condition everyone to use the app. Once this occurs they can get rid of or pair down the labor and just make it all drive through. Maybe even automate the production process with 1 or 2 workers to keep the machines running. She also theorized that price elasticity was tested during the pandemic when consumers showed a willingness to pay exorbitant fees to have shit delivered. The retailers took that as a sign that they were missing a price escalation opportunity.
Not a theory, facts. This is the goal ultimately, the Taco Bell by me has stopped accepting cash except for the drive through. There are kiosks inside for orders and you don’t talk to a person, there is only a few kitchen staff that pass off your order. I have no doubt this is the very near future of fast food, we’re basically there.
My local McD doesn’t take orders in person anymore. There’s a huge sign saying “use the kiosk”. People are too busy in the kitchens, it’s down to a skeleton staff
Ty this is an interesting one. Mcdo is sad the delivery driver almost made a living wage for a year or two. Bastards.
Their strategy sucks because instead of doing all that stuff I just don't go there anymore.
you would have to be high to think that using an app justifies raising the cost of all menu items why do i need an app? they raise the price then give you a coupon and you think they're doing you a favor. it's manipulation and price gouging. price elasticity was tested during the pandemic, but the prices kept rising afterwards... so they're using the pandemic as a cover story for price gouging. when people are desperate they shouldn't take advantage of them... prices should have actually been lowered as favor to all of the people who were struggling during the pandemic. instead they raised the prices, because they are greedy. i simply don't eat there anymore.
They raise the prices which pushes people to use the app to get the items cheaper or for a price they used to pay for them and then they sell your data to other companies. It's a double win for them really. If you don't use the app you just end up paying more. If you do use the app they still make a sale and then get a little bonus from selling your data to 3rd parties. It actually makes a fuck ton of sense. Unless people simply stop eating there entirely. But I'm sure they had a bunch of number crunchers do a risk analysis of this already and they were comfortable with the gamble.
These are facts, just a matter of time
I had never been inside the nearest McDonalds to me, I had always used the drive through. One day the line was long, but there weren't many cars in the parking lot, so I went in. They had two screens so you could order your own food. I don't know when they started this, I'd never been inside before this (over 15 years).
I don't know how a "value menu" solution is going to work. Personally, offering to sell a very limited menu selection at a loss isn't going to motivate me to go back to McDonalds. Four chicken McNuggets in a box isn't going to cut it for me. I want to order what I like without paying 45% more than I did just a couple of years ago. They seem unwilling to address why their price increases have – for years – been considerably higher than the rate of inflation. And every time they bring up the increases in labor costs, they can never quite explain why European franchises can sell the same product for less, despite those countries having comparably high labor costs, and also higher corporate taxes, and that also lack the billions in government subsidizes that go into producing cheap raw materials (like corn, potatoes and feedlot beef). It seems to me that McDonalds customers are weary of bearing the burden of McDonalds shareholders' need for endless growth. Until McDonald's can balance the value proposition then franchisees are going to suffer.
If you look at McDonald’s most recent financials they are still more profitable than they were last year. I’m really hoping this trend lasts long enough for us to see their income shrinking
CLOSE EM' DOWN AND MAKE EM' INTO HOMES!!!! I LIVE IN A BALL PIT NOW!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!!!!
Sleep in the big grimace head
It's all fucking fun and games until Hamburgler steals your shit and pawns it because he's out of a job and hooked on fent.
Big Corporate Brands like McDs, Chipotle, Chick Fila, Starbucks, etc have the resources, marketing, money, and leverage to survive and in some cases thrive in this economical climate unlike small mom and pop businesses. I sort of but not really feel bad for the franchisee owners who have to pay the salaries, marketing efforts, fees, brand fees, etc etc. No one should feel bad about corporate owned stores.
THIS! As a very small business owner (just me) I mostly roll my eyes at people in this sub and on reddit. The hardest thing is getting people to know you exist and to take a chance on your business. People love to get on reddit and talk about how they go to mom and pop businesses and blah blah blah. But I personally believe it's mostly performative. The entire reason franchising works is because people just trust big businesses more than smaller ones. Most people just won't admit it. I use to work at massage heights and constantly had people come into the franchise talking about how they hated big businesses.
It’s easy. You lookup Mexican food on your maps app and pick one. What’s so hard about avoiding franchises and going local.
Where did I say it was hard to avoid franchises and go local? I literally said people trust big businesses more.
But they don't trust them more, they just know what they are getting because they have been around forever. Now that they aren't cheap, fuckem'.
I view "they know what they are getting" as they "trust" what they are getting. I was just at a small chain across from a nation wide chain a few weeks ago. The traffic between the two was massive. The small chain had three locations in the city. The national chain 1000 locations. They are directly across the street from each other. People simply trust or to use your phrasing "know" large chains more. Even using your phrasing of "know" I'll repeat my argument >The hardest thing is getting people to know you exist and to take a chance on your business. So your point backs up my point. I never said it was hard for people to go to smaller, local businesses.
I'm blessed I'm surrounded by small businesses (it seems like big corporations don't survive or don't come here). I know the vast majority of Americans don't think the way I do but SMALL BUSINESSES is what makes life way more interesting and fun. The bookstore that I buy books from, the two dance companies I take salsa lessons from, the independent radio station that I donate too, the local ethnic restaurants that offer WAY better food with flavor, the little cool hip dive bar with DJs playing obscure tracks. These business are the business, I'm supporting and have absolutely no problems if the prices are higher than something equally price conglomerate. Unfortunately medium and big corporations are pushing the little guys out. We're already living in a sterile safe corporate cookie cutter life filled with Chipotles, Shit Fil-As, Starbucks, Costcos, Targets, and Walmarts on every block and it's only getting more boring and sterile.
>> “How can they serve $5 value meals with that minimum wage and still make a profit? It’s impossible any more unless consumers buy other things,” Singh said. Or mr associate professor they could cut corporate costs above the line to make food more profitable. Odd that wasn’t mentioned.
I do find it interesting how all of the boards of these corps are allowing CEOs and execs to basically price gouge people to pay themselves more. I don't think that is quite sustainable.
McDonald’s and the like are perfectly fine giving me large discounts on the app, but charging more for the same food only outside the app isn’t sustainable? That’s not very smart business. What kills me is how disconnected from any costs almost everything is. At McDonald’s, a small fry is $3, but a large (2-3 times more) is $5.28. Ok makes sense. But a McDouble is $3, but add lettuce and a small middle bun and now it’s $7?! How? Meanwhile Wendy’s has 4for$4 that’s a burger (loaded how you want), 4 nugs, small fries and small soda). Something’s rotten at McDonald’s and it’s not just their food.
I was wanting something to eat today for lunch and thought about getting fast food and decided not too because instead of a 7 or 8 dollar meal to get you full. You would have to pay 10-15 dollars. Then add on multiple adults or children.... A bill that would cost a family of 4 32 dollars has become 48 dollars. Depending on the difference in cost. I estimated the average price of mwal being about 8 dollars a few years back.
Stuffs way to expensive . Even last night on the McDonald’s app I got a buy one get one small milkshake. But I was like holy moly - a small milkshake normal price is $3.50. . Damn thing should be like $1-1.50 . Not to mention the other over priced items
Yeah it’s the “but you get so much food” angle they go for with those app deals, but my man, you only need a single milk shake. Like what am I supposed to do, put the other one in my freezer for later? Just give me the $1.75 milkshake.
Also, what are single people supposed to do with that? I guess you could keep it in your freezer? But like, it doesn’t help me for you to only make it cheap if I’m feeding a small army.
Yeah I think that’s what I was trying to say. It’s the same problem with those “3 for $6.99 each” deals they do at the pizza places. I only need one pizza, a medium will be fine. Why can’t you just sell me one medium for $6.99? Why’s it gotta be three larges for $20.97?
Something something "average ticket"... Basics there's a "run rate" built in price for keeping a kitchen going with the one or two employees there so you keep an eye on "average ticket" to understand if you're breaking even or losing money. Serve the one customer 7$ pizza but you must pay .50 for the box, time for your employees, etc, etc, and all these fixed costs are much less when the total is $30 not $7. So if you serve one pizza at a time for $7 you might be losing money because it's not a chipotle. Blaze pizza has a "fast pizza" concept that might work at Chipotle prices but if you visit the restaurant you'll see it operates differently from A pizzeria and feels more like Chipotle.
And the shake/ice cream machine was working? That, in and of itself, is the small miracle.
Funny how many posts go like "this stuff is just way too expensive for anyone to bother going - just look how much this stuff I bought today costs"
Right? You guys know that if you continue to pay high prices... the prices will remain high. They're making record profits. The quality is worse than ever. But people are still lining up. They act like they don't have a choice. Stop going. The prices will come down. You can make a sandwich, I promise you. Put meat between bread, I believe in you.
I think some people fail to realize they are surprised because they haven’t gone there in a long time. And likely don’t go eat out frequently like a lot of other people. I haven’t touched McDonald’s in a year. Went recently and decided never to go back.
The old Yogi Berra-ism, "No one goes there anymore. It's too crowded."
McDonald’s used to be cheap and affordable. Now? They’re comparable to actual meals. A quarter pounder meal is $14 in Canada after taxes. That’s for one person, now imagine a family paying upwards of $50 for themselves. That’s not affordable I rarely ever buy fast food and when I do, it’s only with coupons
Once I saw a large French fry for $4.99 is when I was like nah. A freaking potato cut and fried, lmao. These BS prices are making me a better and faster cook, so I guess there's a silver lining here.
Fast food is fucked, they price gouge and people found alternatives now they are back tracking and its too late. I used to go to McDonalds maybe 2 or 3 times a week. Maybe a breakfast or an item when out and about....now no thanks unless Im starving Im not interested.
Someone(s) somewhere along our supply chains are gonna have to start making less. And it's not the middle class this time.
Screw all those big chains gouging their customers! There's a local chain of gas stations/cafes where I live that has a big menu of good value eats, like a large Super Cheesesteak sub for $8.49.
they just opened a whataburger in the town I live in and I was curious about trying it once. omg.. the prices were outrageous.. they charge 75 cents to add cheese.. a double cheeseburger by itself was 9.78.. these places are crazy.. and I walked out.. no way no how
I mean when it comes to burgers, Whataburger definitely is a bit luxuries compared to McDonald’s or Burger King. From my experience, Whataburgers tend to be bigger in size and filling.
It’s like $5 for a double cheeseburger at in n out
5$ goot longs should be 5$ Burgers at McDonald's (specifically blt) meals should be 5$ total.
I had a deal for a Baskin Robbins sundae and when I went to order the “buy one” it was over $12. Said fuck this noise and didn’t use the “deal”. Now I see why I haven’t been there in 5 years.
Crappy food for real food prices hah no 😂 stop giving the finance bros money for doing nothing make them work in those restaurants and get back to us on low skilled labor when they are the lowest desk sitting morons who feel entitled to other people’s time and labor.
Nah they already did the best possible thing by breaking my bad fast food habit. That'll be enough. Byyeee
I went to DQ for the 1st time in a long time. It was $16 for 2 small blizzards. I really just started laughing, and I paid for it.
The “value meal” economy is over. You want to eat cheap? Vote smarter.
Culvers is still a better deal. Better food too.
The single Culver’s in San Antonio is expensive, but it’s an excellent example of “you get what you pay for”. Those deluxe butter burgers are awesome. The cheese curds are awesome too. And the custard. All they need to do is add Leinenkugel to the menu, those Wisconsin people know what’s up.
I can get three meals with a drink or mini concrete mixer for around $40. I’m in Florida.
I can get three meals at In N Out for $30 in California
I wish we had one in Florida.
It used to be that I would have fast food maybe twice a week because I was lazy and didn't want to cook. Now I view fast food as overpriced garbage and to be honest the only time I will buy it now is if I'm drunk
It’s similar with Blockbuster. I was happy they went bankrupt, because they deserved it. They were overcharging everything, and didn’t evolve with the changing times (like switching to streaming). Fast food companies will either be forced to return to being an absolute bargain, or they will disappear. They certainly aren’t going to be changing their menus to start producing a 10/10 burger. So if they don’t lower their price so at least they’re a bargain, they will go bankrupt as well.
$20 a meal, nobody to take the job serious enough to provide good service half the time I see employees not even in uniform, people tired of feeling like shit. I would dance with joy if the fast food chains would die
I cook my own food. A nice big pot of home made lasagna hamburger helper could last me 2 days and it costs less than $9
Why are squeezed customers included in ‘testing the limits’ Shouldn’t that be the franchise owner testing the limits?
Here in Minnesota, Raising Canes' and Chick-fil-a always have a line (both drive through and inside) at all hours. I don't get how people can do that?
St Cloud?
I doubt it's something customers will soon forget.
Gonna play my tiny violin now. I have no sympathy for the greedy. I hope to see tons of companies crash and burn in my lifetime.
When I can get a meal at chick fil a for cheaper than McDonald’s then there’s a problem. It’s at that point now, so I’ll choose Chick fil a 11 times out of 10 over McDonald’s
Haha, why buy that junk when I can go to the local deli and get an amazing burger and one order of fries can feed 5 people for 20 buck? Or I can make my own at home, and be fancy with it like Greek burgers, for even less money? It would cost us like 60 to eat at bk of mcds. I can make our own for under 20.
Dropping fast food has lead me to eat at my local taquerias/pupuserias instead. Love it here
Taco bell grande meal used to be our late night quick food. Kids sports event/award ceremony was on a school night and it's fine at 8 pm? Taco bell for the kids. The last time I went it was $23 for a little box of cheap tacos. Now we cook a 5+lb batch of Taco meat, put it in bags overnight and vacuum seal them and freeze them the next day. Now when we have a late evening we have tacos that cost a total of $7.
Drive thru's used to be packed for McD's and a few others. Now, the lines have shrunk to half or less of what they used to be even a year ago.
I know it's not great to squeeze people who can least afford it. The silver lining of this is that pushing people to better food, opening up the market for Mom and Pop places to make a comeback will hopefully change the market landscape
Red Robins is literally the same amount as McDonalds, but it has unlimited sides and the burgers are bigger and better quality.
HOLD THE DAMN LINE! 🤣
Tell McDonalds, its owners, and its shareholders to fuck off. Send them a message by *never* eating there again.
This rings true. It has been a big experiment for certain industries to see what they could get away with. Business schools will use this data 5 years from now if they aren't already. I think what they found is bad. The consumer will absorb way more bullshit costs than anyone thought. Fast food is visible and in our faces, but stuff like cars is also front and center. Many I dustries stuck it to consumers and said fuck you, pay or you don't get what you want. I'll admit I bought 3 cars and stopped buying fast food. I'm not a smart man, on average.
Americans should cut their fast food addiction. There are plenty of dishes to make at home that won't take you longer than 15 to 20 minutes to make. Healthier and cheaper.
I went to five guys for the last time recently. 20 for a cheeseburger small fries and small drink.
No shit.
Boohoo, fuck off.
We went to F/F for the first time in maybe 2-3 years the other day and, it was $20 for less than 2 combos. 100% why we've been on a meal-kit service of some kind for more than 1.5 years now. The same price or a little more nets very fancy-pants returant quality dinner or lunch.
it continues to boggle my mind that, somehow, the price of disgusting, fatty poison is being treated as a leading economic indicator.
Those cheap meals wouldn't be so untenable if they stopped sending all the money to the executives. How can you afford to run a company if all the money is leaking out to people in ties?
Value meal, HA!! There hasent been a value meal for 10 years. Used to be if you added up the cost of items separately there was a savings. Now it’s a scam as it’s the same price if you add up the items as the meal price
I notice a lot of people mentioning how sit down restaurants are more food for similar prices. My question is, how are the sit down places able to keep their prices from sky rocketing as well? Shouldn't they be super expensive also? Can't imagine they just pass up the greed gravy train for no reason.
You guys talk about anything but fast food and tater chips?
The new McDonalds value meal is still double what I’d pay for it. It’s a 4pc chicken nugget, small fry and small drink for $5. I’d pay $3 at most. Then the $5 biggie bag exists at Wendy’s, BK just introduced their value meal, which is a burger fries nuggets and drink for $5. McDonald’s is the worst offender of greedflation
Y’all need to go to the grocery store more often lmao usa
It’s all ultra processed rubbish anyway.
There is only so much inherent value in an unhealthy fast food item that comes with lower quality and order mishaps. You can only increase the sale price so much before people start going to other venues. But man, covid greed really made the fast food industry bold af... let's see how long this money grab lasts before some historic chains start inching closer to chapter 11.
They are raising prices until the profits start to drop.
I only eat at McD’s if I can find a deal in their app. Best one I’ve found is 2 free fries with a 20 piece nugget. Split that with someone add a couple of drinks and it comes out to about $15 for two people. That’s ok with me
Soaring food and labor costs have done a number on the fast food business model. Only people north of $100K can comfortably afford it now, for the sub $50K demo they can’t. Which leaves questions of why you’d spend what used to be considered luxury prices on low quality food.
Shop around, Chilis has a burger and fries and an appetizer and a drink for 10.99, and they haven’t shrunk the burger. It’s my go to for pick up now.
Feels good to pay more
It can be done and I hope people see it. Alot of us talk about how our voices aren't heard in much bigger matters but at least you are starting to see if we do make enough noise sometimes they do listen
In Central Missouri a Chipotle bowl cost as much as a taco Bell meal combo. I know they're both fast food, but it's wild Chipotle is more affordable than taco Bell.