When a big mac meal costs more than a sit down restaurant burger the entire concept has lost its meaning. We’re paying premium prices for bottom tier quality. I went to mcdonald’s yesterday and a basic big mac meal was $14. I can go to a local diner and get a better burger with real meat with actual seasoning and fresh fries for $12. Fast food used to be the cheap and a quick option when you needed something fast and didn’t want to spend much money. Now it’s just quick. The “fast” part is the only thing left that makes sense everything else about the concept has been abandoned.
I’m not expecting gourmet food from fast food places but when you’re charging restaurant prices you lose the right to serve garbage tier food. Either keep the prices low and accept that it’s cheap junk food or improve the quality to match what you’re charging.
The worst part is they’ve convinced people this is normal. “Inflation” doesn’t explain why fast food got expensive faster than everything else while getting noticeably worse.
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Facts!!! I’d rather call ahead to a restaurant and get a real burger for the same price.
Time to learn how to cook yourself
I fully agree. My last trip to Mcdonalds set me back 20ish euro. For some nuggets, fries and a milshake. When I have the time, I’d rather spend 10 bucks more and sit in a nicer restaurant.
Note the first adjective is ‘fast’ – that’s the most important attribute. Next is what it is; food. And oftimes it doesn’t qualify as food.
While historically fast food has been cheap, it’s never been in the name. It is still food, it is still being served fast. It is still, in fact, fast food.
I agree. It’s fast, unhealthy, garbage food that is now just as expensive as a better restaurant (or mildly less) .
On the bright side, it’s helping me eat better and helping my cooking skills come along. When we go out to eat now, it’s to a better place and when we’re lazy, that price reminder helps us cook at home.
It’s just not worth it.
These days, it’s not even fast in some places. More often than not, I’m asked to park and wait an additional 10-15 minutes. Even if I’m just getting a meal for myself. This only happens at McDonalds.
Its not fast its just quick!
See how you sound?
That was the plan all along
McDonald’s is not even fast where I’m at, true laziness is the only reason I ever go there.
At that sit down diner though you are going to be expected to tip, so the price difference isn’t that much once that is taken into account.
There’s no point eating out anymore. My husband and I now go out once a month and the rules are
We were getting delivery about 2-3 times a week and even from fast food places, we’d wind up paying $40+ each time. The amount of money we’re saving is all going towards a savings account to buy a big ticket item for the house (like a new mattress, piece of expensive furniture or a new water softener).
At one point I didn’t think I could stop eating out at least once a week but the quality of food taking such a nosedive over the last few years has made the breakup so easy.
Not fast food anymore, just convenient food.
I haven’t eaten fast food in years because of this. The only thing we get (for pick up) is Domino’s because we can get 2 medium 2 topping pizzas for $20.
There is a beautiful sit down restaurant very close to us that has a very expensive menu but they have a gorgeous lounge side that has the restaurant menu and a separate lounge menu.
>CHAIRMAN’S BURGER
$25
AGED WHITE CHEDDAR, CLASSIC GARNISH, FOIE GRAS MUSHROOM SAUCE, DOUBLE SMOKED BACON, HICKORY STICKS, DIJON MAYO, HOUSEMADE ONION KAISER
CHOICE OF FRIES OR GREENS
>CRISPY CHICKEN SANDWICH
$24
ENZO PEPPERONI JAM, GOUDA, DILL PEPPERCORN RANCH, CLASSIC GARNISH, HOUSEMADE ONION KAISER
CHOICE OF FRIES OR GREENS
Both are amazing.
Did you leave or did you buy that Big Mac?
Or, in most cases, slowly.
So its still fast?
A couple things. The easiest one is demand, if people pay, they can charge. I think Covid helped with that when we determined that fast food and coffee chains were “essential” work. Not to mention how much it must have cost to install all of those ordering kiosks and the constant remodels.
But also, a lot of fast food has been trying to rebrand itself. They want to get away from the stigma that fast food is over processed and unhealthy, and they can do that by charging more. If it costs more, it must be higher quality.
Exactly. I want my money going to locally owned restaurants at this rate.
I call it quick food
If I have to my fast food options are only subway or Taco Bell. I’d rather not eating crappy fried food but subway at least has vegetables and taco bell is just tortilla and beans.
*fast food is not food.
Hell look at Toxic Hell I mean Taco Bell. You almost have to apply for a loan to drunk eat there.
Haven’t gone to McDonald’s except maybe once since I moved states. It was convenient when it was in walking distance and the app was doing all the coupons. However as soon they stopped doing those I went less and less. Though I have been with people when they pick up their mobile orders which is supposed to be fast but ends up taking 5 to 10 minutes for them just to hand over food they already paid for after giving them plenty of time to have said food made and ready. So yeah not itching to go back there anytime soon.
Worse…it is not even fast.
And suspect the “food” is even more expensive in long term health impact.
Given the food engineering to make it shelf stable- it should be a lot cheaper.