Fast-food pricing going up?

[dave_the_nerd]

I think it's a combination of things. Companies are greedy so if minimum wage is higher then they raise prices so they can make the same, or more profit than before. Sometimes they raise the prices anyway, because they just want more profit. People blame government for inflation, and they are definitely a contributor due to some often bad monetary policies (the budget will balance itself!), but corporate greed also is a contributor. The first companies to blame would be utility companies, insurance, municipalities (property taxes) and basically any company that business/people pay bills to every month. Because if price of those things goes up, then it basically snowballs into making everything else go up. Gas/diesel is a big one too, that affects everything.

$20 minimum wage seems absurd though. While a big corporation like McDonald's can easily afford that, a small business, not so much. So they have no choice but to let people go and possibly reduce their hours of operation due to not being able to afford the staff to run it. I think what needs to be tackled dead on is inflation itself. Raising wages is just a temporary bandaid solution if the costs of living/operating and price of everything are only going to keep going up anyway.

Fundamentally, everybody wants to make more money this year than last year, for doing basically the same thing.

A laborer will argue that they're more experienced and therefore worth more. On the other end, an investor will argue that the company needs to make more money than last year or it's not making progress, and they'll put a buddy on the board or in the CEO slot to cut jobs and outsource core competencies until that happens.

Some of the things you mention as drivers of inflation are symptoms, not drivers - for instance property taxes are mostly determined by needs - the cost of services that the municipality provides, from school budgets to snow plowing & police salaries. (Again, a bunch of people who want to make slightly more money every year for doing the same thing, while burning fossil fuels to do it.)

Also, most of us don't have the option of simply demanding more money for our labor arbitrarily, so I'd argue that when a specific bill increases, most consumers have to eat that cost, and it doesn't really "snowball" any further than that, except inasmuch as industries that rely on recreation/discretionary spending (movie theaters, travel agencies, etc.) will see a drop in revenue.

There's nothing fundamentally bad about creating value, and money is just an abstraction of value. I can "create value" w/ $200 of wood by making it into a cabinet that somebody might pay $300 for, for instance. If I turn around and sell that cabinet, great, I net $100.ff

But if enough people create enough value, when supply of certain things is constrained people with extra cash create inflation by trying to outbid each other for the limited supply of things they need. What we saw in 2022 was the equivalent of dealer markups on in-demand cars, applied to every possible good and/or service. And the amazing thing is, we have those MFers on tape admitting to basically jacking up prices on everything because they figured they could blame "inflation" and make record profits. And they did.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Some of the things you mention as drivers of inflation are symptoms, not drivers - for instance property taxes are mostly determined by needs - the cost of services that the municipality provides, from school budgets to snow plowing & police salaries. (Again, a bunch of people who want to make slightly more money every year for doing the same thing, while burning fossil fuels to do it.)

Also, most of us don't have the option of simply demanding more money for our labor arbitrarily, so I'd argue that when a specific bill increases, most consumers have to eat that cost, and it doesn't really "snowball" any further than that, except inasmuch as industries that rely on recreation/discretionary spending (movie theaters, travel agencies, etc.) will see a drop in revenue.

Companies pay all those bills too though, and they then raise prices of their product/services when those bills go up. But yeah people who want more money just because, definitely also contribute. One single instance of that in the right spot can then start the snow ball effect. For example if workers at the oil refinery want more money, then price of diesel goes up, then plowing the streets costs more, so taxes go up, now every business in town has to raise their prices, etc.

 

[pmv]

Companies pay all those bills too though, and they then raise prices of their product/services when those bills go up. But yeah people who want more money just because, definitely also contribute. One single instance of that in the right spot can then start the snow ball effect. For example if workers at the oil refinery want more money, then price of diesel goes up, then plowing the streets costs more, so taxes go up, now every business in town has to raise their prices, etc.

There's no evidence that current inflation is driven by wage-increases, though. The inflation came first, and workers have mostly endured a real-terms reduction in incomes, even as inflation remains high. Any wage demands now are largely just about trying to claw back some of what's been lost. Some of the inintial impetus must have come from the increases in gas and oil prices due to a combo of the end of the pandemic (and concequent bounce-back of demand) and the Ukraine invasion. But much of it seems to be just part of the ongoing class-war fought by those at the top. It's all about redistributing wealth from the poor to the rich.

 

[manly]

Pretty much where I've ended up. Hadn't had Popeye's in a while, put an order together, said "fuck that" at the end price, now if we're having the itch for fried chicken I opt for an 8 piece from the local Kroger-owned grocery store's deli for $10. It's not as good, but it's good enough. In 2021, I got a 4 piece dinner for $11, January of 2023 it was $11 for a 2 piece.

KFC has an online deal right now for 8pc bucket for just $10; normally it's about $20 (local prices vary).

https://www.kfc.com/menu

I haven't bought supermarket fried chicken in a while; it's decent if it's right out of the fryer. Some people think it's disgusting and wouldn't touch it.

 

[Charmonium]

The only prepared food I buy at the market is these really skinny Singapore "street" noodles. I don't even like to get the pork fried rice because I spend the next 3 weeks looking for a tapeworm. OK, I don't really, but that's always what flashes thru my head.

I seem to get sick from prepared food pretty easily unless it's just mostly carbs. For whatever reason though, I seem to trust BK and White Castle.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

It’s by far the healthiest way to eat a burger. The bread is carbs and sugar.

While I don't disagree in principal, I think you're swinging for the wrong fence by eating fast food meat. It's above and beyond the worst quality meat you'll ever eat. Honestly, just buy some beef and make some nice beef patties out of them. Or pick something other than ground beef i guess if the notion of cooking literally anything else is unpalatable.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

The only prepared food I buy at the market is these really skinny Singapore "street" noodles. I don't even like to get the pork fried rice because I spend the next 3 weeks looking for a tapeworm. OK, I don't really, but that's always what flashes thru my head.

I seem to get sick from prepared food pretty easily unless it's just mostly carbs. For whatever reason though, I seem to trust BK and White Castle.

Your flora may be kinda jacked if standard street food (usually very fresh due to lack of storage and refrigerant capacity) gives you issues but fast food doesn't. It's opposite for me lol. Get to work on some probiotics maybe?

 

[Wreckem]

For Popeyes and McDonalds, use the apps. Here in Texas you can always get a 5 piece meal for two which includes 5 pieces of chicken, two biscuits and two sides for $10.99.

With McDonalds o can regularly get two double cheese burgers, a medium fry and a pie for about $5 across two separate orders using a combo of the app and the kiosk.

 

[esquared]

For Popeyes and McDonalds, use the apps. Here in Texas you can always get a 5 piece meal for two which includes 5 pieces of chicken, two biscuits and two sides for $10.99.

With McDonalds o can regularly get two double cheese burgers, a medium fry and a pie for about $5 across two separate orders using a combo of the app and the kiosk.

Same here in California using the Popeye's app.
If you walk up to the counter, prices are at least 50% more.

Plus, the points add up. Every fourth or fifth visit, I have enough points to get a free chicken sandwich.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

I can't believe people eat that stuff and admit to it.

 

[esquared]

I can't believe people eat that stuff and admit to it.

If the fucking subject title doesn't interest you why don't just ignore it instead of
the shittposting you do in most threads.
Its beginning to be real tiresome, if you want to know the truth.

 

[VirtualLarry]

MSN

$3 for hashbrown? McD's customers (in the $45,000 household income and below category) start to say "NO".

 

[VirtualLarry]

MSN

Another article, quoting some guy from McD's saying that in the near future, prices aren't coming down, but there will be more targeted (app) advertising of particular deals to save money. I live in an apt. complex, and almost every month, there's a coupon flyer in the paper sales bundles one week, with some substantial coupons good all month.

 

[nakedfrog]

He admitted that for customers making $45,000 annually, it’s cheaper to just stay home and cook.

I believe it's likely cheaper for everyone, not just those making $45k?

Yum Brands, parent company to KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut, reported underwhelming 2023 fourth-quarter earnings.

Not surprised, I went from getting Taco Bell pretty regularly to basically never, because it simply isn't good enough to justify the prices they're asking now. If they're going to make me put in effort (use an app, order online exclusive deals) they can take a flying fuck at a rolling donut.

 

[lxskllr]

I'm not using a shitty spyware (cr)app from any company. If I don't like your prices, I'll simply quit going, which I guess I sort of have. I get fastfood every so often, but a lot of the time, I decide it isn't worth the price premium, and just eat what I have at home. I like McDonalds, but it isn't all that. It's good when it's cheap. If the price competes with real food, there's other choices.

 

[Captante]

If the fucking subject title doesn't interest you why don't just ignore it instead of
the shittposting you do in most threads.
Its beginning to be real tiresome, if you want to know the truth.

Agreed.... almost never a positive thing to say unless he's patting himself on the back for getting a few bucks off some CC promo or similar.



Some folks are just miserable and built to stay that way.

 

[Captante]

I'm not using a shitty spyware (cr)app from any company. If I don't like your prices, I'll simply quit going, which I guess I sort of have. I get fastfood every so often, but a lot of the time, I decide it isn't worth the price premium, and just eat what I have at home. I like McDonalds, but it isn't all that. It's good when it's cheap. If the price competes with real food, there's other choices.

The Popeyes app IS worth it IMO if you have one nearby despite any data you give up.... BUT that's mostly true because the chicken is so dang good!

Most of those apps (especially McDogfood) however are not.... instead they're gross, unhealthy AND expensive!

For example a combo meal with beef/chicken/shrimp and broccoli over brown rice and an egg roll is around $14 out the door at my local Chinese place PLUS (aside from the fried eggroll) is pretty healthy.

Most fast food "combos" cost that much or more everyplace now AND you might as well spackle gooey sticky fat in your arteries from eating it!

Also this:

 

[lxskllr]

Popeyes is on the other side of town. When I'm over there, I'm not usually looking for fastfood. If the chicken's that good(haven't been in awhile to see what prices are like now), I'll pay full price. If affording fastfood requires giving up privacy, I'm too poor to be eating out anyway.

On the subject of apps; sort of... Why is every interface in the world a huge piece of shit? The consoles on copiers, the kiosk at McDonalds, self checkout at the grocery store... Aside from having shittily coded interfaces much of the time, they lag like they're running on a rock bottom end MIPS tablet from 2012. What's the problem here?! I can buy a $50 smartphone from walmart that's more performant than this junk, so it can't be a cost issue.

edit:
Now I'm getting worked up... And the fucking menuboards in restaurants that don't actually show the menu, but a rolling stream of ads. The sections that do show menu items are set to speed 'functionally illiterate', and take forever to change pages. This is what inspired my comment about kiosks. Last time at Mcdonalds, I used the kiosk so I could see everything they sell, and what it costs. Laggy interface, fucking popups asking if I want to add something, or make my selection a meal... Go fuck yourself. Display what you fucking sell, and I'm pretty sure I'm competent enough to add it to my order without prompting. Everything's shit... FUCK...

 

[Captante]

"Privacy" .... what a quaint idea!

The Popeyes app is the least of our worries .... I'll cough up 2 minutes of location data in exchange for a big discount on fried chicken personally anytime. Unless you pay cash religiously and don't carry a phone or GPS of any kind big brother STILL knows where you've been app or not.

And frankly with the number of random cameras nearly EVERYWHERE these days I wouldn't even bank on that.

 

[lxskllr]

"Privacy" .... what a quaint idea!

The Popeyes app is the least of our worries .... I'll cough up 2 minutes of location data in exchange for a big discount on fried chicken personally anytime. Unless you pay cash religiously and don't carry a phone or GPS of any kind big brother STILL knows where you've been app or not.

And frankly with the number of random cameras nearly EVERYWHERE these days I wouldn't even bank on that.

"Big Brother" is a many headed hydra, and only one of the heads is the government. I don't give my data to marketers. A few dollars is trivial. If they want me in their shop, they can make good chicken with an attractive price. That's capitalism. Data mining my ass is a perversion of capitalism, or perhaps it's logical conclusion, but I'm not gonna shrug my shoulders, bend over and take it. When you start defeated, you can only be defeated.

And yes, aside from online purchases, I'm pretty much 100% cash. The cell company has to know roughly where I am to provide service. If I intended on doing something that would attract negative attention, the phone would stay home. BTW, GPS is a receiver, not a transmitter. You can gps all you want, and nobody would know it ;^)

 

[DAPUNISHER]

I used the kiosk so I could see everything they sell, and what it costs. Laggy interface, fucking popups asking if I want to add something, or make my selection a meal... Go fuck yourself. Display what you fucking sell, and I'm pretty sure I'm competent enough to add it to my order without prompting. Everything's shit... FUCK...

Here's how it works with corpo scum: onscreen popups/prompts are oft cited in meetings. They are more than twice as effective at upselling clients as humans are. Until or unless that trend reverses that's SOP.

I think last summer was the last time we hit a McD's. The help wanted sign on the drive thru starting pay was $14.50 and up with standard benefits package like matching 401k and a free meal every shift. Thank the pandemic for making people finally start to understand why they were making more sitting at home than working their Mcjob.

They are dead to me because they stopped doing breakfast all day. The only thing I want is breakfast burritos at 3 in the afternoon coming home from the beach when my stomach is yelling get in my belly! Now Steak-n-Shake gets that money. $4.44 for a double burger with the works and fries.

 

[lxskllr]

They are dead to me because they stopped doing breakfast all day. The only thing I want is breakfast burritos at 3 in the afternoon coming home from the beach when my stomach is yelling get in my belly! Now Steak-n-Shake gets that money. $4.44 for a double burger with the works and fries.

I liked this in concept better than in practice. Might have been the shops around here, but the breakfast sandwiches weren't as good on off hours. I think what probably happened was they were made, then sat around with a long turnover rate. Nothing unsafe, but the quality wasn't as good. I didn't get breakfast for lunch as much as I otherwise would have. McDonalds breakfast is some of my favorite food bar none.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

I liked this in concept better than in practice. Might have been the shops around here, but the breakfast sandwiches weren't as good on off hours. I think what probably happened was they were made, then sat around with a long turnover rate. Nothing unsafe, but the quality wasn't as good. I didn't get breakfast for lunch as much as I otherwise would have. McDonalds breakfast is some of my favorite food bar none.

That's why the breakfast burritos ruled. They always made me pull forward into a parking spot because they had to make them. Fresh and hot with that processed melted cheese they use. I loved those stupid things.

 

[manly]

Not all fast food joints require the phone app for deals, although most require you to have a "rewards" account. With Popeyes, Domino's Pizza and Panda Express, for example, you can just order off their respective web sites. Domino's has a guest checkout that works with all of their online coupons.

If you just want to roll up and pay cash for affordable fast food and no data mining, there's still In-N-Out Burger... and nothing else?

 

[Torn Mind]

Also this:

How long something takes to mold up is irrelevant. The reality is that decomposition will happen with sufficient water.

Wheat products can actually turn into to garbage real fast. A old-fashioned Twinkie had a shelf life of only two weeks. That was a more expensive process that was better in terms of freshness of food but required it's own distribution system.

The first Supersize Me was not a very well grounded documentary, it was much closer to propaganda. The second one regarding the chicken farming system was much better in tangible facts.