Fast-food pricing going up?

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manly

Lifer
Jan 25, 2000
12,991
3,754
136
"McDonald’s is fighting back against viral tweets and media reports that it says have exaggerated its price increases.

In a post on the company’s website Wednesday, McDonald’s U.S. President Joe Erlinger said reports suggesting the price of the average Big Mac has doubled since 2019 were false. McDonald’s said the average U.S. Big Mac was $4.39 in 2019 and now costs $5.29, a 20.5% increase."

"The average U.S. price of a Big Mac meal, which includes a sandwich, fries and a drink, currently is $9.29."




Ten bucks for some brown stuff on a bun, potatoes in oil and a sugary drink?
Feels like he's understating the numbers a bit.

Locally, the Big Mac combo is $12.29, up about 15% from December (yes, the minimum wage in Cali went up 2 months ago). I used an in-app deal to get it for $6.50. I realize Cali is a high CoL area, but I doubt many forum members can buy a Big Mac combo for $9.29 or less.
 

Exterous

Super Moderator
Jun 20, 2006
20,553
3,714
126
Feels like he's understating the numbers a bit.

Locally, the Big Mac combo is $12.29, up about 15% from December (yes, the minimum wage in Cali went up 2 months ago). I used an in-app deal to get it for $6.50. I realize Cali is a high CoL area, but I doubt many forum members can buy a Big Mac combo for $9.29 or less.
There is a shocking amount of data available for Big Mac prices (less for the combo itself) and most would seem to support the idea that the cost is below $10 for the meal although they don't seem to agree on the exact price (potentially because they are done at different points in time)
Site #1 ($9.72 for the combo)
Site #2 (Big Mac cost $5.58. Just the burger but the fries and drink at McDonalds isn't expensive enough to push it to $12)
Site #3 (Big Mac cost in 2023 which is $0.23 less than 2024)

As for access based on population CA and NY are some of the most expensive Big Mac states but TX and FL are some of the cheapest and are #2 and #3 for states with the highest population
 

SteveGrabowski

Diamond Member
Oct 20, 2014
8,652
7,270
136
everyone get ready for 'surge pricing' at Wendy's


/just a trial for 'now'
Went to Wendy's today and I think they were surge pricing since I went about 5PM and lots of things on the menu were higher than they are in the app when I looked earlier. Example: smallest fries were $1.79 in the app but getting to the restaurant at 5PM they were $1.99 on their LED screen in-store menu. Cobb salad $8.19 in the app today, but $8.89 in the store at 5PM.
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
69,949
13,465
126
www.anyf.ca
I noticed poutine has really gone up in price now. Like $14 or so these days. Was going to get one from this place that makes really good ones and they are charging $7 for delivery now! The whole order was going to come up to like $37 when all is said and done. Complete insanity. Ended up going through another place that was a bit cheaper but it was still like $32 all in.

I've cut back a lot on fast food, and especially delivery for that reason. I'll still do it once in a while to splurge and today was my first time getting delivery this month. Every time I do it I kinda have buyer's remorse though. It's a lot of money for 1 meal.

The Factor food boxes are actually way cheaper than fast food now. I just get tired of them sometimes and still want something different though, so I bounce between those, cooking my own stuff, and sometimes fast food. Made a pretty nice spaghetti sauce the other day actually. I'm not really good at cooking in general but it's one of the few things I cook that I actually really enjoy.

I've actually made my own poutine before too with the actify and St Hubert gravy and it was actually ok. Not as good as some of the specialty poutines I can get locally, but still passable and WAY cheaper.
 
Reactions: VirtualLarry
Dec 10, 2005
27,674
12,105
136
Went to Wendy's today and I think they were surge pricing since I went about 5PM and lots of things on the menu were higher than they are in the app when I looked earlier. Example: smallest fries were $1.79 in the app but getting to the restaurant at 5PM they were $1.99 on their LED screen in-store menu. Cobb salad $8.19 in the app today, but $8.89 in the store at 5PM.
Isn't that just a function of the apps? Many fast food places have deals or charge less in the app - you're trading privacy for convenience and a small discount.
 

SteveGrabowski

Diamond Member
Oct 20, 2014
8,652
7,270
136
Isn't that just a function of the apps? Many fast food places have deals or charge less in the app - you're trading privacy for convenience and a small discount.
Menu prices are the same in the other apps I have used in the last couple of months like McDonalds, Arbys, and Whataburger, but they'll have a deals tab where you get a few offers for discounts that you apply on checkout. The discounts are never shown browsing the menu though, especially since for all of the apps I have tried you can only use one discount at a time.
 

SteveGrabowski

Diamond Member
Oct 20, 2014
8,652
7,270
136
everyone get ready for 'surge pricing' at Wendy's


/just a trial for 'now'
Wendy's is definitely surge pricing now. I just checked the app to see if I got any good offers this week, saw I had enough rewards points for a baconator, and then went and looked at the baconator combos at 11:15PM and it's listed $8.59 menu price without any coupons for a baconator, medium fries, and a small soda. That's like a $12 or $13 combo when I have checked at lunchtime or dinner time.
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
69,949
13,465
126
www.anyf.ca
It would be interesting for someone that lives within line of sight of a fast food place to point a web cam with zoom lens at the pricing sign to see if the prices change over time. Make a time lapse of it. In fact it could be an interesting public service to make it a live cam, people could check which fast food place is cheapest. Could do the same with the apps to see if the price is different, but that would be harder to automate.

Like Gas Buddy but for fast food.
 
Nov 17, 2019
13,191
7,840
136
What do salad bars run now? Or do they even have them any more?

I remember getting quite a lot of salad and fixin's at Wormy's for under $5
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
69,949
13,465
126
www.anyf.ca
Video about the downfall of Tim Horton's. Mostly talks about quality going down, but also prices going up. I can definitely attest to that, there has been a major quality drop in just the past years alone that I personally noticed, but it really did start when BK bought them.

 

RossMAN

Grand Nagus
Feb 24, 2000
78,876
370
136
For whatever reason this thread reminded me of ShotgunSteven who has been MIA for almost a decade (Last seen Dec 29, 2015).

Has someone checked oldsbasement.com?
 

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
40,205
9,810
136
Eating out is expensive compared to what you can prepare yourself if you have the circumstances and will to do it. "Fast" is a positive, although it can be thought as pejorative. Politics is favoring giving FF workers a living wage these days, relative to what it has been. I figure it will continue to get more expensive.
 

Indus

Lifer
May 11, 2002
15,000
10,520
136
Eating out is expensive compared to what you can prepare yourself if you have the circumstances and will to do it. "Fast" is a positive, although it can be thought as pejorative. Politics is favoring giving FF workers a living wage these days, relative to what it has been. I figure it will continue to get more expensive.

In the early 90's.. my favorite restaurant meal (Meatball Parm Hero) costed $3.75 and the min wage was $4.75 an hour. NYC subway cost then was $1.25 for a ride.

Today.. almost mid 20's.. my favorite restaurant meal (Meatball Parm Hero) costs $13 and the min wage is $16 an hour here in NYC. NYC subway cost now is $3 a ride.

Things are more expensive now but the ratio of expense to wage has basically stayed.
 
Reactions: Muse

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
40,205
9,810
136
In the early 90's.. my favorite restaurant meal (Meatball Parm Hero) costed $3.75 and the min wage was $4.75 an hour. NYC subway cost then was $1.25 for a ride.

Today.. almost mid 20's.. my favorite restaurant meal (Meatball Parm Hero) costs $13 and the min wage is $16 an hour here in NYC. NYC subway cost now is $3 a ride.

Things are more expensive now but the ratio of expense to wage has basically stayed.
May I ask (because I figure to visit NYC sometime soonish, I have a lot of cousins there, and I was born in Manhattan): What restaurant do you go to for that?
 

Indus

Lifer
May 11, 2002
15,000
10,520
136
May I ask (because I figure to visit NYC sometime soonish, I have a lot of cousins there, and I was born in Manhattan): What restaurant do you go to for that?

https://tommyspizzanyc.com mostly because it's been close to me while I've been in NYC.

While I was overseas.. whenever I came back.. couldn't wait to eat it again. (btw make sure they get your order correct.. they've been known to screw it up.. even if they do make good pizza)

And https://divinospizzeria.com is really really delicious (almost double if not triple the cheese) but you pay a premium for that.

Strangely enough http://newparkpizza.com is the highest rated with a much bigger customer base and I've had pizza from there.. it's not bad but I prefer the other 2. I almost prefer Dominos over it.
 
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