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.

  • @AgainstTheGrain@lemmy.ml
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    312 months ago

    I probably am gonna get a lot of hate for this. Isn’t that a good thing? Afterall processed food is the leading cause of most diseases today, most notably cancer. It’s about time organic food is promoted heavily and incorporated in the policy making.

    • @Paddzr@lemmy.world
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      132 months ago

      The reason for the hate is… You offer no alternative.

      I’m coeliac, I don’t get to eat outside at fast food places. But people got to eat and they might need something quick on the go… What’s your alternative? What cheap healthy meal do you offer?

      I don’t get to have stuff, I can’t even buy a sandwich from a shop if I wanted to. But I can see how people rely on it.

      • @AgainstTheGrain@lemmy.ml
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        42 months ago

        Celiac disease kinda runs in my family. I am gluten intolerant myself. I’m aware of the struggle. All I’m saying is we need a paradigm shift as far as food is concerned. If there are no alternatives, create one for yourself. It’s about time we take control of food and where it comes from. Not everything that’s convenient is healthy for the long run.

    • @jj4211@lemmy.world
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      122 months ago

      In isolation, maybe a good thing. Problem is that it’s a bit of a sign of a broader trend of crazy expensive dining out.

      The stuff a fast food customer is likely to eat at home is likely even worse than the fast food. Also, groceries are also pretty expensive, though not quite as bonkers as restaurant pricing.

    • @Valmond@lemmy.world
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      22 months ago

      I see it as good too (took the kids (2) to burger king, I just took a burger + their menus, 44€ … WTF), but the downside is (where I live) ordinary food prices are also skyrocketing.

      • @lightnsfw@reddthat.com
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        22 months ago

        Bk is still my go to for lunch when I work in the office. 2 whopper jrs or 2 double cheeseburgers is like 6 bucks. The combo meals are definitely ridiculous though.

        • @Valmond@lemmy.world
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          12 months ago

          So, a rare treat, then ;-) ?

          Or are you at the office five days a week?

          What’s a whopper jr BTW, like the db cheeseburger in size? Seems very very cheap for sure 😅

          • @lightnsfw@reddthat.com
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            22 months ago

            couple times a week. there’s not a lot around me food options wise. Whopper jr. is just the same thing as a whopper but with the regular burger patty instead of the whopper one so it’s smaller.

    • @Felipe@sh.itjust.works
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      12 months ago

      I was thinking the same thing, the only good thing about it was the price. I can get a nice rump steak dinner and a pint at the pub for just a bit more than a trip to maccies these days.