Fast food has long been known as a dining option that’s quick, convenient, and budget-friendly. But lately, that budget-friendly part is becoming less and less true thanks in part to inflation. As fast food prices have reportedly increased across the board, some chains have imposed even higher price hikes than others.
Pricelisto, a website that provides “the most accurate and up-to-date menu prices,” recently unveiled new data analysis comparing menu prices at popular fast food restaurants from September 2021 to October 2022.
As Eat This, Not That! reports, the data shows that the fast food restaurant with the biggest overall price increase this year was Wendy’s, at 35 percent. Interestingly, some individual Wendy’s items, like the Baconator and the Spicy Chicken Sandwich, cost less than they did in 2021. But all of their prices overall have increased significantly, according to Pricelisto’s data.
While Wendy’s had the biggest price increase, Pricelisto’s analysis also shows that prices have increased by 12.9 percent across the five biggest fast food chains—McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Burger King, Wendy’s, and Chick-fil-A. Burger King had the lowest increase, at just 2 percent.
A Pricelisto spokesperson offered some insight into what likely contributed to the price jumps.
“With the busy lives we lead, turning to fast food is the easiest option for many people. It is interesting to see how chains have responded to the rise in inflation and shipping costs for their ingredients,” the spokesperson said. “The price of wages, transportation and energy all contribute to a higher end price for the consumer but larger chains such as McDonald’s are able to mitigate this with brand deals and bulk buying.”
Needless to say, we now have a good idea of what our New Year’s resolution might be (cooking at home more).
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