Kevin Roberts remembers when he could get a bacon cheeseburger, fries and a drink from Five Guys for $10. But that was years ago. When the Virginia high school teacher recently visited the fast-food chain, the food alone without a beverage cost double that amount.

Roberts, 38, now only gets fast food “as a rare treat,” he told CBS MoneyWatch. “Nothing has made me cook at home more than fast-food prices.”

Roberts is hardly alone. Many consumers are expressing frustration at the surge in fast-food prices, which are starting to scare off budget-conscious customers.

A January poll by consulting firm Revenue Management Solutions found that about 25% of people who make under $50,000 were cutting back on fast food, pointing to cost as a concern.

  • reddig33@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    277
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    6 months ago

    If you can eat at a nicer place for the same amount of money, why would you eat at McDonald’s?

    • BobbyNevada@discuss.tchncs.de
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      103
      ·
      6 months ago

      I would rather spend that money on a local burger joint. Give me a single named joint with a generic paper bag with grease stains on the outside.

      • spongebue@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        85
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        6 months ago

        Unfortunately, so many local burger joints have a “flagship” burger featuring a Sysco patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion for $17, sides extra.

        • MrVilliam@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          59
          arrow-down
          3
          ·
          6 months ago

          I know a Sysco burger when I see one. Normal burgers aren’t chode cylinders; Sysco burgers have goddamn right angles. They taste like they’re about 40% gristle. It’s basically just the “technically beef” parts of dollar store dog food pressed into the vague shape of a burger patty. The paper that separates the frozen turd patties is better, both in terms of flavor and nutrition. Fuck Sysco burgers. If Sysco reads this and doesn’t like what I have to say, they can go fuck themselves until their asshole is as fucked up as a Sysco burger eater’s asshole 93 minutes after their shitty lunch.

          • catloaf@lemm.ee
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            30
            ·
            6 months ago

            Sysco has variety in their products. I just checked and they apparently have 128 different beef patty SKUs: https://shop.sysco.com/app/catalog?q=beef+patty&BUSINESS_CENTER_ID=syy_cust_tax_meatseafood&ITEM_GROUP_ID=syy_cust_tax_meat

            Though I’m sure a lot of them are just variations on leanness and package size. Point is, unless you’re going to a specialty place, any restaurant is going to be buying Sysco patties (or at best, Sysco ground beef packs and hand-formed into patties) but the nicer restaurants are going to be using the better choices, and the shitty places are going to be using the cheapest ground beef formed into a cylinder and frozen.

            • Ragnarok314159@sopuli.xyz
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              13
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              6 months ago

              Sysco supplies a lot of restaurants with food, all kinds of places. But they have also optimized and helped with Enshitification by having restaurants mold their menu on the offerings of Sysco.

              What ends up happening is every Mexican, Burger, and pretty much everything else that buys from Sysco tastes exactly the same. Mexican food is especially obvious.

              • spongebue@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                5
                ·
                6 months ago

                I’m not sure this is an enshitification thing. That should have a degree of hostility with users. This is plain ol’ low-quality product (made easy)

                • Ragnarok314159@sopuli.xyz
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  ·
                  6 months ago

                  I chose to label it that way since all these places that had to make their own food are just making the same, tasteless meals.

                  I go to a mom and pop Mexican place and it’s the same shitty salsa, chips, and menu options. Same with burgers and so many others. I just need to learn to cook better quick meals.

            • Potatos_are_not_friends@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              6 months ago

              Spoilers:

              Sysco provides a lot of restaurant ingredients/premade food. Your chili from fancy restaurant might just be the same damn thing from Wendy’s, the dollar store, and the niche “homemade” food cart.

              They might decorate it a bit differently once they open the bag.

              This isn’t a good or bad thing. It’s how you can order fries in Maine and California, and they still taste the same. But also why some restaurants, side dishes taste the damn same.

      • Wanderer@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        8
        ·
        6 months ago

        Anything where you can get a burger bun that doesn’t taste like it full of sugar is worth it over anything else.

        The bread quality in america is the lowest of the low.

    • TheSpookiestUser@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      31
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      6 months ago

      Convenience and familiarity, mostly. If you go to a McDonalds you know exactly what you’ll get and you’ll be able to get it pretty quick.

      • Dkarma@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        16
        arrow-down
        3
        ·
        6 months ago

        Name one burger joint that doesn’t have exactly what mcds has and more…this comment is laughable.

        People eat at McDonald’s because of marketing.

        • Ragnarok314159@sopuli.xyz
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          17
          arrow-down
          4
          ·
          6 months ago

          I hate McDonalds, but on roadtrips they are usually a godsend. A lot of them still have a play place which lets my kids be monkeys for a bit, and the Happy Meals give them a shitty toy to occupy their time for the evening.

          It sucls, I don’t eat there, but McD’s has its place.

        • ShepherdPie@midwest.social
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          6 months ago

          I’ve eaten a lot of burgers and fries in my life and can’t think of a single place that replicates a McDonalds burger and fry. Having the same menu item (as in a “double cheeseburger”) doesn’t mean anything as they all taste and look different from one another.

      • CaptPretentious@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        9
        arrow-down
        6
        ·
        6 months ago

        If you go to a McDonalds you know exactly what you’ll get

        A poorly put together “meal” that very likely has been sitting under a heater for a length of time unless you went there when it was busy. And if it was busy, the chance for mistake is high and it’s going to be sloppily put together. What so you can save a few minutes? Most places do take-away… so you call them, place an order, pick it up. No sitting 10-20 minutes in drive-thru. And you got more food, better food, for the exact same price and you probably got it faster on take-out. And dining in… you wait a few minutes… how do you not have a few minutes?

        And who actually cares about familiarity? That’s either saying, you go to that one place way to much and your food choices are predictable and boring. Or you’re highly susceptible to advertising. And really, those two things aren’t mutually exclusive.

    • yukichigai@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      18
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      6 months ago

      Seriously. For the same price as McD’s I can go to In-n-Out. That’s just comparing fast food places. For the price they’re charging for a Quarter Pounder I may as well go to a sit-down restaurant.

    • Laser@feddit.de
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      14
      ·
      edit-2
      6 months ago

      That nicer place is probably at home. Not that there’s anything wrong with it. But I think all fast food chains raised prices? At least here in Europe it’s not like McDonald’s is somehow standing out as more expensive. Worse, yes. But that was always the case

      • Dkarma@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        18
        ·
        6 months ago

        You’re failing to realize that the issue here is that it went from basically the cheapest food you could buy to more expensive than cooking at home is the issue here.

        Millions of people grew up eating this crap cuz it was cheap. Now that it’s as expensive as other better options people are starting to realize it isn’t cheap anymore.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      15
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      6 months ago

      Speed, for one. If I’m traveling across the country and I just want to eat and get back on the road, or even if I just need some breakfast before work, it’s a lot faster.

      • AdrenochromeBandit@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        8
        ·
        6 months ago

        My go to for this stuff now is truck stops. They’ll usually have a fast food restaurant in them but also healthier options for snacks and meals

    • ZeroCool@vger.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      10
      ·
      6 months ago

      Yeah I can get a better burger/fry combo from a local restaurant that uses high quality ingredients and cares about having my business. There’s no reason to pay the same for low quality junk from a fast food chain.

    • ZeroCool@vger.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      6 months ago

      Yeah I can get a better burger & fry lunch from a local place that uses better ingredients and actually values my business. There’s no reason for me to pay the same price for low quality junk and worse service from shitty fast food chains.

  • spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    134
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    edit-2
    6 months ago

    Not only have the prices become absurd, the quality control has gone to crap.

    For years we’ve taken regular road trips and use to stop at fast food places every single time. In the past 3 years we’ve repeatedly been served triple salted food, awful sub sandwiches, “cheese” burgers missing the cheese and condiments, and cold burger patties so old and dry they couldn’t be choked down. When you factor in the amount of waste due to the lousy food, the actual prices are way higher than what’s shown on the menu.

    The ridiculous prices and regular bad experiences pushed us to a tipping point and we now find a grocery store along the way for deli sandwiches. It usually only adds about 5 minutes to the trip. Not only are the prices about 30% less but the food is consistently edible which makes the real price probably 1/2 of fast food places.

    This is something we wouldn’t have taken he time to do a few years ago, so for us there’s been a big upside to the absurd prices and lousy food. We’re permanently changed our habits and cut fast food out of our diet completely. We are now spending less and getting consistently better quality, healthier food.

    Maybe we should send “thank you” notes to the various fast food corporate headquarters.

    • Tikiporch@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      44
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      6 months ago

      You can’t pay your employees poverty wages and expect them to care about quality.

      It has to hurt for the people who spend their hard earned money on a night off from cooking by ordering out at McDonald’s, but it’s a lesson we all learn the hard way.

      • _number8_@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        36
        ·
        6 months ago

        it’s very hard to give a shit when you’re making a meal that costs $15 in 30 seconds when you make maybe $9/hr. the math is so plainly unfair and it’s right in front of you all day

        • Krauerking@lemy.lol
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          6 months ago

          Yeah. When you entire shift could just barely afford a days worth of calories and nothing more I think you would basically check out.

        • arefx@lemmy.ml
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          6 months ago

          All the fasst food places here pay like 15$ minimum, mcdonalds. Bk, Wendy’s, all the big names.

          It’s still shit money but it’s not THAT low.

      • spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        6 months ago

        If you’re selling a product that you can’t produce by paying employees a lousy wage, you have to pay what’s needed to produce a salable product. This is the way business works everywhere and is true for both skilled and unskilled labor.

        These companies have radically increased their prices while allowing the products produced to go to shit, and their customers are doing what customers always do when faced with crappy products and high prices. We’re going elsewhere.

    • 🔰Hurling⚜️Durling🔱@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      23
      ·
      edit-2
      6 months ago

      I usually go to the salad bar of my grocery store and pickup a salad with no protein or dressing, then go to the dressing isle and buy a bottle of the dressing of my choice, finally go to the deli and pickup a cooked chicken. At home I shred the chicken and store it in a container and every day after I just stop buy the salad bar and pickup a hefty salad for $5, add a bit of my shredded chicken and dressing with gusto.

      Best lunch ever.

    • scops@reddthat.com
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      12
      ·
      6 months ago

      After trying a few grocery store deli sandwiches, I will avoid fast food sandwich shops unless there’s simply nothing else available. The deli is there to get you in the store to spend money. They don’t have as much of a financial incentive to skimp on the ingredients. It wasn’t uncommon for me to get a sandwich so stuffed I couldn’t close it

    • Bluefalcon@discuss.tchncs.de
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      48
      ·
      6 months ago

      I’m seeing more local places popping up. I’m happy with that. $15 for a big Mac meal or $15 for the Chicken tikka masala? I’ll take the big Mac, said no one.

      • The_v@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        35
        ·
        6 months ago

        Full dinner for my family of 4 at McD’s us $65.

        Full dinner at my locally owned restaurant that offers takeout plus lunch the next day from leftovers - $70.

        • marx2k@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          10
          ·
          6 months ago

          Full dinner for my family of 4 at McD’s us $65.

          That is fucking bananas in pajamas bananas.

          That is bottom tier food for even fast food. $65??!?

          It costs $65 for two dinners from my local Indian restaurant and those dinners can serve two. Our serve two for 2 days.

          wtf

      • HeyJoe@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        11
        ·
        6 months ago

        Same here, but the reason this doesn’t work is because a bic Mac meal doesn’t cost $15. It’s more like $10 or even lower with deals. If you are on a budget and have no time to cook, I can see how the cheaper option can still sway the decision. For me, it’s lower than that and will settle for Wendy’s 4 for 5. At $5 bucks, it’s absolutely worth it every now and then when I just want something cheap and quick.

        • Bluefalcon@discuss.tchncs.de
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          7
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          6 months ago

          Dave’s combo $9.69 I assume that is a small combo. Local burger place $14.30 that’s with a fountain drink 20oz and a small fry (sweet potato or normal ones). Their small fry will feed two adults, like five guys, they add extra fries.

          Local place uses local beef, veggies, and bacon. Wendy’s I get mystery meats. I’m hoping it’s fresh but we know none of it is.

          If you get an equal product at Wendy’s it would be around $14.69. You will get the large shit fries and a liter of cola. I’ll take the local place. For the record I picked the cheapest meal Wendy’s had bc most families would look for a “deal”. There is the cheaper menu which has jr burgers but my local place has sliders for more $4.45 compared to the $2.49 jr burger. However I can get a good medium rare slider with normal toppings for the $4.45. I will still take that. More food for cheaper.

          Large big Mac is $12.21 so I was off by $2.79

    • Son_of_dad@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      6 months ago

      It’s not just fast food unfortunately. Sit down restaurants, even mom and pop ones are through the roof in pricing as well. Even groceries to cook at home are crazy these days with the pricing

  • ThrowawayOnLemmy@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    87
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    6 months ago

    Used to be that people went to fast food because it was good, fast, and cheap.

    These guys running the show have managed to reverse all three of those points. Now fast food is shit, slow, and expensive. It’s honestly amazing that people put up with it as long as they did.

  • LostWanderer@lemmynsfw.com
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    77
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    6 months ago

    That’s pure greed at this point…Jimmy John’s is still well in an affordable range. As a rule, I tend to avoid buying food from places with surge pricing as fast food is supposed to be affordable! It’s not fine dining and as a result should be priced appropriately; they’ve forgotten their role in the food space and thus their business will live or die based on future choices.

    • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      66
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      6 months ago

      Jimmy John’s

      Yeah, but their owner is a big trump fan, and for some inexplicable reason he’s paying Rudy Giuliani 's legal bills…

      Their subs are decent tho and probably cheaper than subway at this point.

      Man, subway actually used to be decent too. $5 for a foot long is pretty much what it was worth. And if you knew what you were doing it could have been relatively healthy.

      I haven’t been in probably a decade now. But sometimes I still get JJ’s. Just wanted to mention that like a lot of big chains, we really shouldn’t be giving them a lot of money.

          • Krauerking@lemy.lol
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            6 months ago

            Yeah by Inspire brands, the same people that run Sonic and Arby’s. I mean I guess it’s better than Yum! In quality…

            But this is also Roark capital who named themselves after an Ayn Rand character and have several violations and creepy history as a private equity firm and are currently trying to buy all sandwich companies to own a monopoly on it.

      • Vent@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        arrow-down
        3
        ·
        6 months ago

        If you order online, Subway always has a coupon to get footlongs for ~$7, which is about $5 from 2010 adjusted for inflation. They have a lot of perpetual coupons that they rotate the codes on about once per month, but there’s always an up-to-date list on the subway subreddit.

        • GluWu@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          13
          ·
          6 months ago

          If you order at the right time, you can get salmonella from the lettuce. Guess how I know.

    • Uranium3006@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      16
      ·
      6 months ago

      if base food prices really make the old fast food economics nonviable, I expect the space to die off and be replaced by fast causal. otherwise I expect a lot of them to die on their own greed and the rest to get with it. it seems the fast food space is going all in on drive-thrus so maybe that’s their future niche?

      • The Uncanny Observer@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        20
        ·
        6 months ago

        That’s just it, we can see the finances of McDonald’s, and they could definitely make their burgers quite a bit cheaper if they wanted to. But they keep wages low and prices high because it allows them to make massive profits.

        Which is stupid to do in the long run, because a nice restaurant is the same price or slightly higher. But all the stockholders are concerned about is quarterly profits, not long term ones. Capitalism is remarkably short sighted.

        • Archer@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          6 months ago

          Ride your quarterly profits and attendant bonuses as long as possible and don’t give a shit about the future because that’s the next CEO’s problem in less than 5 years from now when you golden parachute out

      • spaduf@slrpnk.net
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        6 months ago

        Fast food has been all in on drive thrus since the inception of drive thrus. Most places make about half of their money that way and for some it’s far more.

    • abadbronc@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      8
      ·
      6 months ago

      We got JJ’s a couple weeks ago. 3 sandwiches and 3 cookies was over $50. That was not worth anywhere near that much.

      • LostWanderer@lemmynsfw.com
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        6 months ago

        Yikes! On average (as a single dude) it’s around 19 and some change for delivery. In store I end up paying around 13 dollars! For more than one person, it’s better to eat at a proper sit down restaurant.

    • spaduf@slrpnk.net
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      6 months ago

      Surprised to hear this. Where im at Jimmy John’s is the most expensive. I wonder if it’s supply chain related.

      • LostWanderer@lemmynsfw.com
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        6 months ago

        I wonder about that, it could be they simply feel that’s a price people will pay there! Honestly, if I get a sandwich, chips, and a cookie for delivery it’s around 19 and some change. If I buy in store it’s around 13 dollars.

        In addition to my original comment, I totally forgot about Culver’s which would actually be the cheapest; Their value combo is less than 10 dollars and mighty tasty! I visit both places as they are lighter on my bank account.

    • credo@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      arrow-down
      68
      ·
      edit-2
      6 months ago

      Fast food was affordable because they paid sweat shop wages. That’s not the case anymore. In any event… I would argue with the “supposed to be” affordable comment. Just because it was doesn’t mean it’s supposed to be. As far as I’m concerned this can only be good for the health of the public- when fast food prices are at least comparable in price to healthy options.

      Edit: lol at all the people comparing the US to Nordic countries. Apparently they think US franchise owners are the same as those in countries where making a profit is akin to a sin. Hahaha. They thought by raising wages, owners would cut into their own bottom lines. “Bruh, in countries where mcmansions don’t happen, this isn’t a problem.” Net profits have not gone up at all compared with the rest of the economy.

      And apparently people really like their cheap big macs. Eat something else? And I’m sure many of them were arguing for livable wages over the past five years (I was). This outrage is hilarious.

      Edit 2: Apparently people don’t know what “gross” means. If my costs go up, then my prices go up… and my gross returns go up to cover both the costs (expenses) and net proceeds. I’m at a complete loss at the nature of these arguments.

      McDonald’s NET growth from end of 2009 to 2023 was 4.56 B to 8.47B. A 186% increase. This is roughly a 5% annualized increase. I intentionally sought pre/post COVID numbers for a reason.

      In this same time the US GDP grew from 14.47B to 27.35B. Almost the exact same rate of growth at a 189% increase.

      Net profits are what you’re concerned with in your arguments when accounting for greed… not gross. If anything, I’ve shown McDonalds is making less money today. But you know, feels are more important than facts.

      • blackbelt352@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        54
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        6 months ago

        My guy, it’s cheaper to get a big mac in Norway than in the US and their lowest wages are more than double ours in the US.

        • ArbiterXero@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          11
          ·
          6 months ago

          Yes but the owners in Norway aren’t making more profits than last year.

          The whole problem isn’t that they’re not making good profits, but that it’s not exponentially growing profits.

          Greed.

      • Moops@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        39
        ·
        edit-2
        6 months ago

        I won’t believe paying fast workers a liveable wage necessitates the rise in cost unless there’s hard data behind that. Sure, it’s likely a necessity to continue profit growth quarter after quarter, but I’d wager they’re able to continue making massive profits even with having to pay their staff like they’re humans.

        I agree with you about fast food though. We’ll be better off without them. Fuck em.

        Hey, I can edit too: You never said gross prior to your edit, you were talking about consumer costs. I’m still not yet a believer, but I Iove you :)

        • Neuromancer@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          11
          ·
          6 months ago

          Since labor is a cost. You just defeated your argument.

          If labor goes up, prices will go up. It’s that simple. Fast food is only profitable at high volumes. Their profit margin is only around 10% which is low.

      • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        33
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        6 months ago

        Bruh, McDonald’s exists in other countries…

        A big Mac in the Nordic countries costs like a dollar more than America, and their workers get the equivalent of like $20 some an hour, paid vacation time, and the company actually has to pay taxes.

        It ain’t the labor that’s expensive.

        It’s not the ingredients either.

        It’s the profit rate to keep shareholders happy

        If that arrow always has to go up, it’s the one thing that’s literally impossible to ever go down.

      • Remmock@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        25
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        6 months ago

        McDonald’s in Europe charges similar prices to America but pays living wages to their employees.

      • Kid_Thunder@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        13
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        6 months ago

        Fast food was affordable because they paid sweat shop wages. That’s not the case anymore.

        McDonalds gross profits are $14.68B over the last 12 months with over 9% year-over-year growth.

        They aren’t struggling and other than covid (which just held steady for a few years at $10B), the trend has been going up, not down, not stagnant for many years.

        Remember that’s gross profits. If wages were hitting them hard, then we’d see the trend decrease but that isn’t what happened or is happening.

        • credo@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          11
          ·
          edit-2
          6 months ago

          Yes, you’re comparing COVID lows with today’s returns. That’s perfect. Not that I give a damn about franchise returns. I just don’t eat there.

          Remember that’s gross profits.

          Do you have any idea what “gross” means? You’re literally including the increase to wages in your argument.

      • Rottcodd@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        11
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        6 months ago

        They thought by raising wages, owners would cut into their own bottom lines.

        I don’t think anyone actually thought that.

        They’re simply making the point that the problem is not the wages paid to the employees, as you imply, but the obscene salaries paid to executives and franchisees.

        That the American execurives and franchisees are not going to take the necessary steps to correct that problem pretty much goes without saying, but that doesn’t in any way change the fact that that is the problem

        • credo@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          9
          ·
          6 months ago

          The profits today aren’t any different than the profits from 15 years ago (when fixing for economic growth). I’ve already done the math. The only significant variable that’s changed here is wages. I.e., expenses.

          • Rottcodd@kbin.social
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            4
            ·
            6 months ago

            Undoubtedly.

            And that in no way contradicts, or even really addresses, my point, which is not about overall expenses, but about the distribution of them - the portion that goes to employee wages vs. the portion that goes to executive compensation packages.

                • credo@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  arrow-down
                  1
                  ·
                  6 months ago

                  And you read that as a complaint? That’s your issue if you interpret plain facts as complaints. Feel free to read a little more thoroughly.

      • tburkhol@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        9
        ·
        edit-2
        6 months ago

        2023, McDonald’s net income $8.5B on $25B revenue, or 34% net profit margin.
        2009 net income $4.5B on $23B revenue. 20% profit margin.

        Over the time period that you picked, their profits - the money that they don’t pay to either workers or farmers - nearly doubled as revenues barely changed.

  • foggy@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    68
    arrow-down
    5
    ·
    6 months ago

    Hey McDonald’s.

    This isn’t reddit so you probably won’t see this.

    Hashbrowns cost $1. Figure it out. Not here to haggle.

    Also can someone sue these MFS giving deals through apps? Like “sorry homeless guy pan-handling out front, medium fry is only free if you have a $200 phone! Sucks to suck.” How is that ok?

    • Liz@midwest.social
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      7
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      6 months ago

      I have vague memories of there being a law that you’re supposed to just be able to ask the cashier to apply any discounts you know about at the cash register?

        • Liz@midwest.social
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          6 months ago

          I thought about it for a second, and could see it being an accessibility law passed for this very type of thing. Kind of like how (in the US) you must always be able to join a sweepstakes without paying any money (usually you mail them your name and address) even if the way they want you to join us by buying product or something. But anyway, I don’t actually know about that coupon thing.

          • jj4211@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            4
            ·
            6 months ago

            The “No Purchase Necessary” isn’t about giving everyone fair access to the winnings, it’s about being legal even where gambling is not, since “maybe winning” something in exchange for money is either illegal or highly regulated throughout the US.

        • foggy@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          6 months ago

          There is a law in the US that any x for y deal must be sold at the ratio unit price.

          So like “10 for $10!” Means they are breaking the law to sell them at a price more than $1 for 1.

          The caveat is packaging. E.G. Marlboro can wrap two packs of cigarettes and call it a Buy One Get One deal which is not the same. Weird little loopholes.

    • scottywh@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      9
      ·
      6 months ago

      The apps are fucking awesome though.

      I literally get free burgers with no purchase required regularly at the moment thanks to a fast food app.

      • Rekorse@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        8
        arrow-down
        3
        ·
        edit-2
        6 months ago

        I’m surprised to see all the replies about the McDonalds app and how its actually a great deal.

        Most companies are doing this now, and giving free food regularly as an incentive to keep using it.

        Why would these companies spend money to keep us using the app, and keep it installed?

        The truth is, they make far more off selling your data then they spend giving away food periodically. Look at the permissions the app needs under the guise of “making it easy to tell when you are near a McDonalds so we can start cooking your food!”.

        Lemmy is supposed to be better about privacy and such than this.

        • jj4211@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          6 months ago

          That’s not the only motive. The other is that if people are in the habit of using the phones and kiosks to place their orders, then that’s less money spent on people stuck on order taking. I’d even speculate that is the primary driver of “discounts in the app”.

          For many of the restaurants, I’m actually in favor of tapping in the order, since it’s less likely to screw up getting the order right when I’m tapping it in.

          • Rekorse@lemmy.dbzer0.com
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            6 months ago

            I think this is a case where people might actually prefer the kiosks over the cashiers, since like you said, the kiosk doesn’t vet your order wrong.

            There can be multiple reasons to do things, and they can definitely add on new ideas on top 9f old ones when they realize an avenue to make more money.

            I’m not even saying noone should use these apps, just be aware of what the cost actually is.

            I hope people in general figure out this whole “free” stuff scam soon. Drug dealers have been giving out “testers” for hundreds of years but I guess people just assume they aren’t part of the “easy to deceive” crowd.

    • UckyBon@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      76
      ·
      6 months ago

      All big companies are keeping tabs on socials, incl. Lemmy. You think you’re special for using Lemmy? 🤪

      • foggy@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        42
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        6 months ago

        There’s not enough of us for any movement here to make their stock price move.

        They don’t care. It would be a bad use of their resources.

        They will eventually, but they don’t.

        • UckyBon@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          72
          ·
          edit-2
          6 months ago

          Keep convincing yourself that you’re special.

          Are you really that dumb to think your comment isn’t scanned by companies?

                • UckyBon@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  2
                  arrow-down
                  46
                  ·
                  6 months ago

                  Well, I just spent a good 5 minutes in Lemmy and encounter nothing but white trash. I am certainly gonna go outside again, but not of your command, wanna-be-master. I’m not your fucking slave.

                • UckyBon@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  arrow-down
                  39
                  ·
                  6 months ago

                  Of course, because people here hate Asians, as I have been trying to point out. Luckily your racist friends like you. Now go dig a hole please, and drop your mom in it first. You motherfucking racist barbarian baboon brain.

  • fubarx@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    55
    ·
    6 months ago

    I was running between work and meeting friends for drinks last week. Lost track of time and it got past 10pm. On the way home, saw a Burger King drive-in. Haven’t had fast food in years (we eat at home a lot). What the hell.

    Two discoveries:

    • A small Whopper meal was over $15!
    • My stomach didn’t appreciate it all night and most of the next day.

    For that kind of money, you can do much better. Lesson learned.

  • Snapz@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    55
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    6 months ago

    Overdramatic headlines to try to make this more exotic and mysterious than the reality - YOU GREEDY FUCKS HAVE INTENTIONALLY TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF EVERYONE SINCE THE PANDEMIC STARTED. It was never acceptable and you finally pushed fast enough to even upset the wealthy and those who spend outside their means.

    You are all broken humans. You chase endless growth without purpose, you are a disease.

    • eyy@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      16
      ·
      6 months ago

      News headlines gonna be like “millenials are bankrupting an American institution, the fast food industry”

          • Krauerking@lemy.lol
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            6 months ago

            Actually I still can get avocados for a dollar a piece and you only use half for some toast plus a single slice of bread and an egg and a some hot sauce…

            I think avocado toast literally is the cheaper option.

            But it’s really just older people seeing constant access to specialty foods that were rarer and thinking if we are burning the planet down to have produce whenever we want it then it must be better than it was back when you couldn’t.

            • meowMix2525@lemm.ee
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              3
              ·
              edit-2
              6 months ago

              Tbf I think the avocado toast outrage was over people paying inflated prices at a restaurant for something so easy and cheap to make at home, not the dish itself or any of its ingredients ever being a luxury.

    • Facebones@reddthat.com
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      10
      arrow-down
      10
      ·
      6 months ago

      In 2024, pointing out that costs have been down for a couple years now and increased pricing is just greed makes you a dirty communist, even to liberals.

      They can fly their little pride flag but it turns out there’s only one class they’ll REALLY go to bat for and its the owner class.

  • Kumatomic@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    52
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    6 months ago

    tHe MaRkEt WiLl ReGuLaTe ItSelF! Okay sure, for the most profit without regard for the consumer. Corporations need a heavy hand.

  • alienanimals@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    47
    ·
    6 months ago

    All of the megacorps are raising prices because they know consumers cannot do anything about it.

    Meanwhile, wages can’t keep pace with inflation because, “tHaT wOuLd MaKe ThE pRoBlEm WoRsE” Yes it would, but only allowing huge corporations to do that shit makes the class disparity worse and not allowing individuals to match is boiling a frog in water.

  • seaQueue@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    44
    ·
    6 months ago

    The ridiculous part of this is that fast food is already subsidized by cheap corn, soy and dairy so their customers are getting screwed at both ends. I’m guessing we’ll see record fast food profits soon if we haven’t already.

  • phoneymouse@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    44
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    6 months ago

    This food is gross to begin with. I’m always shocked by how many people eat McDonald’s. Have some self-respect folks. Don’t eat that shit. You’re worth more than that.