$18 BIG MAC COMBO?! Super-Sized Fast Food Prices Off The Charts

Briahna Joy Gray and Robby Soave discuss the increase in fast food prices between the time of the Trump and Biden's tenure. #inflation
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[@andywinter2496]

If anyone pays 18 dollars for a Big Mac.... they deserve it.

[@darex0827]

I get the meal deals on the app when available, and i pay 8.50 Cdn for a combo. That's about 6.20 USD. 18 is insanity.

[@Deva-no3dn]

I wouldn’t even eat fast food if it was free.

[@jonfreeman9682]

It depends where you live. If in NYC LA Miami where land is expensive they gotta cover high rent so have to charge $15+ for combo. You can get it cheaper in small towns with cheap rent.

[@sotorodrigo33]

​@jonfreeman9682 I'm in Los Angeles the combo is like 11 bucks max. It's 6.50 for combo when you order through the app.

[@jonfreeman9682]

@@sotorodrigo33 Wow that's shockingly cheap for a combo in LA where rent is high and minimum wage up to $20. I can't see how they make money for $6.50 combo.

[@bsn1009]

The Dollar Store is now $1.25. I’m no economist, but I’m pretty sure that is a 25% increase.

[@1848revolt]

I do believe you are a genius.

[@D-S-G.]

galactic brain, the splendid mind even

[@MikeHunt-qu6sk]

I was thinking about suing for false advertising.

[@jonfreeman9682]

Oh it's alot more than 1.25

[@troypettit2332]

Nobody wants to pay for garbage anymore

[@Wordsley]

Oscar would. 🗑

[@thedugout5192]

And even so, it should've just been a sometimey thing to begin with. There's no need for the amount of McDonald's etc all over the country.

[@dashx1103]

Reminds me of the classic Onion bit: "Domino's Pizza Scientists Test the Limits of What Humans Will Eat."

[@31mbur]

Then the prices should be lower

[@WeAreItt]

@@31mbur Billionaires taking a pay cut lol Not gonna happen

[@Berley_1234]

first good info i've heard in a while. STOP BUYING FAST FOOD

[@tomwaitsmencse]

The poors will just buy this on credit. Addictions do not die because they become unaffordable.

[@samuelwallace2782]

Yes, the prices of fast food have risen. But at least the quality of that food has also gotten significantly worse.

[@joebuslife9275]

😂

[@Carlos-dm5fo]

$18 and it’s still 80% fake meat

[@jonfreeman9682]

That's an urban myth. There's no horse meat or bean fillers. That being said I once ordered a meatless burger thinking I was gonna get vegan meat but no it's literally the same burger with no meat patty. And I paid full price. What a scam.

[@bobbritches846]

@@jonfreeman9682 remember subway and their mostly soy "turkey"?

[@jonfreeman9682]

@@bobbritches846 It did not taste like turkey at all. Customers didn't like it and it was cancelled. McDonald's tested the impossible meat burgers supposedly it's impossible to tell it's not meat but it was still off so they cancelled that too. Thing was they weren't any cheaper so why pay full price to get fake meat. It didn't sell well.

[@alikhat1647]

@jonfreeman, sorry man but that’s hysterical. I remember when I was in high school, my friend and I went to McDonalds after school one day (the drive thru) and he ordered the number 2 (two cheese burgers) with “just cheese”. We drove off and he opened his “cheeseburgers” but it was just bread and cheese. I laughed about that…well, I’m laughing now thinking about it, so thanks for the memory.

[@TheDarkLasombra]

Grocery prices are completely out of control as well.

[@make-u-rich879]

Its called CAPITALISM. Enjoy it. 😂😂

[@adamhixon]

McDonald's Corp blaming franchise owners for raising prices is a bit disingenuous. The corporation charges the franchise owners rent on the ground they're building is built on and Corp are raising the rent.

[@kingofwrestling9758]

Exactly

[@timothydoyle6859]

Subway used to be the "go to" for me and my three sons following a weeknight little league game. But, when four six inch sandwiches, chips, and drinks set me back nearly $50, we had to cross Subway off the list.

[@brentbigford7307]

And Robby with the masks.

[@silveravnt]

It wasn't the pandemic. It was the overreaction to the pandemic. Followed by the current admin's bad policies.

[@WeAreItt]

Ummm trump injected trillions into the stock market continuing the trend of inflation

[@user-eh2hj8bx6i]

It's capitalism. No administration controls fast food prices. It's corporate greed.

[@finster1968]

Yes!! Not to mention it’s now two years after the overreaction and nothing is getting better. Only worse.

[@jeanwesleynew]

Go to a local restaurant. They're better, and now likely cheaper.

[@stewartdowouis9218]

No, they’re all more expensive as well. And equally unhealthy, if not more. Restaurants make their food as tasty and appealing as possible with little regard to health. Almost everything in every restaurant everywhere has entirely too much sodium. We like to tell ourselves they’re “better” than fast food joints, but nah.

[@jackcslewis2009]

@@stewartdowouis9218 Maybe it depends on the restaurant and what you choose from the menu....

[@scratchpenny]

@@stewartdowouis9218 They are also expensive, but many local restaurants are far healthier than fast food simply because they make stuff from scratch. The processing of fast food products is one of the biggest culprits of increased sodium, for example.

[@grimreality451]

Nearly all the local restaurants I previously patronized before the lockdowns went under.

[@lv4tmnt90]

Same price with minimum tip.

[@SistaCitizen]

The McDonalds in my neighborhood charges $4 for a cheeseburger. A CHEESEBURGER! No lettuce. No tomato. Just meat cheese and bread....$4!! You could buy a whole pack of ground beef for that and make 4 burgers at home. I remember when they were like a $1.50 a few years ago.

[@noam2315]

Here in Belgium, Europe they're €1,50 but guess you can't compare it with US since average income here is €1500

[@Mmoselle1983]

They were .89 cents, really not that long ago.

[@nategraham4007]

actually ground beef has gone up as well. Just these last coupla months my local grocery store was selling 1lb of ground beef for $5.60 and now its going for like 8 something

[@nurlindafsihotang49]

Go to farmers market, pitch in with your neighbour and ditched those poison fast food. You USAn KNOWS it is bad for you! Start buying lokal mom and pops food stall again. F those corporate poison sellers.

[@jakemarlow8998]

Just more reason to avoid fast food.

[@laylapreater7813]

It’s blatant corporate greed at this point

[@tomwaitsmencse]

It’s inflation. Even the Biden administration stopped claiming this. Take one Econ course.

[@billypardew2337]

Yeah that's what anyone that doesn't want to blame Joe Biden says

[@laylapreater7813]

@@billypardew2337 I do blame Biden and the fed too. That’s why prices are rising in the first place is first bc of the govt and second corps

[@CaseyBurnsInvesting]

Never doubt Bri’s ability to tie Gaza into literally every segment.

[@scratchpenny]

Agreed. She's got a problem. I agree it is important, but many regular Americans are dealing with more pressing issues. Her constant harping on it demonstrates her class privilege, where economics are not as important to her as they are to most Americans.

[@DawnofAnuDay]

Yep…good for her.

[@sguardian870]

KIND of like conservatives always making everything about covid 4 YEARS LATER

[@karen-qm7og]

@@scratchpenny Not so. She continually criticizes Biden for economic policies and their effects on lower earners.

[@joejoe-bs6jq]

Agreed. The segment about fast food prices increasing somehow takes a left turn and becomes about people boycotting fast food places specifically because of Gaza! Strange the way her brain works.

[@oceantransistor]

Did you know you could save thousands by making your own samich?

[@angelfieseler5358]

Stopped eating out for the most part …cooking at home

[@timbradley3030]

99¢ 4 pc nugget? Try $2.69. thanks Joe 😑

[@TheDarkLasombra]

What did Joe Biden specifically do to raise the prices of chicken nuggets?

[@Ivan.A.Trulyuski]

@@TheDarkLasombraprinting money causes inflation.

[@timbradley3030]

It's not Joe Biden, it's the guy Joe that works at Wendy's, he changes the prices on the menu. He does s good job.

[@scratchpenny]

@@TheDarkLasombra His economic and social policies have contributed to increased inflation. Some people, like in Biden's Admin, believe that you can print/create large sums of money and will not hurt the economy. But as we are seeing right now, those people are wrong. Spending this much money creates excess cash that makes the dollar worth less, causing everything to be more expensive. Combine that with his initial energy policies and support for massively expensive foreign conflicts, and he is at least somewhat responsible for this situation. Sure, the stock market is doing great, but that doesn't help working-class Americans much because they don't have enough money to invest heavily in passive income streams.

[@agoogleuser704]

@@scratchpennythat’s not how this works but ok, it makes people feel better to read things they agree with

[@YouSnoozeYouNooze]

The worst offender is Taco Bell. I used to be able to eat there with the change in my cupholder. The good news is that real restaurants just went up a little

[@harijotkhalsa9496]

Not long ago they had a few items for $1. Not anymore.

[@DrewDienno]

Lower budget chains saw what Five Guys was doing and assumed their customer base would just accept high quality pricing for low quality food.

[@bullmoose5574]

Except Five Guys isn't High Quality. Quality is the last thing I think of when I see Five Guys

[@merange8552]

Going out to eat anywhere is at least $20+ for a meal

[@williambudd2850]

Not true here in Elko Nevada.

[@jsmith0924]

Lunch specials at restaurants in my area used to be under $10. Now they run $20 and up. Chinese Buffets are all $25 or more.

[@purdysanchez]

Starbucks didn't have the same sort of price spike because they were already charging $3 for a cup of coffee that costs 15¢ in supplies and 14¢ in labor.

[@YouKnowItMang]

Not the Big Mac you wanted, but the Big Mac you voted for... 😆

[@RealdoseofTruth]

I haven't eaten any fast food so far this year, and I couldn't be happier about it.

[@infinitedurr]

“2020 supply chain issues” No. 2020 = printed an insane about of money. That’s why we have inflation

[@Ivan.A.Trulyuski]

Burger King has done well with their prices while McDonalds next door became more expensive than ordering a steak dinner.

[@tivobelievo7390]

The silver lining is that now real food costs the same as fast food! The rusty lining is of course that now sh!te "food" costs the same as real food.

[@GM-db4bv]

Strange BJG doesn't mention wage increase... 🤔

[@agoogleuser704]

Anymore strange than Robbie not mentioning it?

[@GM-db4bv]

@@agoogleuser704 yes stranger since it's one of the things she obsesses about: Gaza (Gaza, Gaza), Bernie, minimum wage, student loans

[@aardvarkhendricks6555]

Isn't this a good thing as it will be less fast food eaten? A healthier america?

[@circlesnare3671]

Right. The hyper-processed home food many people eat/cook instead of natural stuff is better than fast food.. The average diet is a pretty low bar all-around.

[@aardvarkhendricks6555]

@@circlesnare3671 Are you telling me processed food eaten at home is the same as fast food like McDonald's? I would say it's still better to supermarket food at home.

[@aroundandround]

If fast food prices are no longer significantly lower than going to a sit-down restaurant, are they betting that people will continue coming there for just the addictive taste bud explosion of fast food?

[@deadgolfer6345]

What about convenience? I don't eat much fast food but I did last night. Totally a convenience move. It was like $12 and it def sounded expensive. But the truth is it was late, I didn't have much at home, didn't want to start cooking that late, etc. I would have paid more.

[@Taylormadevoice]

I didn’t think that Bri could find a way to bring Gaza into this conversation, but I stand corrected

[@thatguymcfly2835]

Fast food has out priced itself definitely not worth it

[@craigthompson3739]

No one can deny inflation. it's not something you can lie about.

[@RobTaylorTraining]

How do you guys leave out that McDonalds has completely dropped their "healthier" options, like grilled chicken. It took decades of pressure to get them to add these items and they dropped them during the pandemic and they never returned.

[@deadgolfer6345]

Nobody wants them. And why is anyone pressuring a restaurant to carry certain items for decades? Were you one of those adding the pressure?

[@Bauks]

Crazy, they brought up "Super Size Me," And one day later, the creator of that documentary died of cancer... RIP Morgan Spurlock...

[@lcat9b549]

Here in ca with the minimum wage law in effect it's crazy. I'm not a frequent McDonald's customer but I love their sweet tea, (half cut) pre inflation and CA law a sweet tea and mc chicken (both dollar menu items) was about $2 and change. Now it's like $4.38, it's not the most expensive meal but it's doubled overall.

[@ckwind1971]

What we see here in NorCal is a huge shift to automation in fast food. Basically eliminating jobs in response to the minimum wage hike

[@GML_123.]

I used to pay $11 for my favorite salad at sweet greens, that includes the add-ons that I like. Now it’s closer to $15.

[@jessicam8128]

Yep, Sweet Greens did us dirty.

[@Zzzbil]

When I was working in NYC in the 1990s, my co-workers and I all brought lunch from home unless the company was treating us for some event. A lot of times it was just leftovers from dinner the night before that we ate as a group in a conference room and cleaned up after. Even in some places with a corporate cafeteria run by Mariott, I brought my own food. It's just a cultural habit.

[@IzzyRumi]

It used to be a treat to take your kids thru the drive thru. We are a joyless society now.

[@user-eh2hj8bx6i]

Don't treat your kids to horrible unhealthy food.

[@wavymcfly]

Blame the Federal Reserve, period.

[@GrizzlyBeatzMusic]

You get what you vote for

[@stewartdowouis9218]

A Box combo at Cane’s is TWELVE F’N DOLLARS right now.

[@3naturalBionutrition]

Good. Cook

[@user-bu1wf3vx5z]

Sure am glad i dont smoke herb anymore 😂.

[@McGurkus]

😂😂😂

[@hugh.jass.melograno]

For me, my enjoyment of restaurant quality/take out has decreased significantly over the years. I find the quality to be much worse than before 2020, but even compared to the 2000's, fast food quality has been on a steady decline. A lot of staff just don't get paid enough or get treated well enough by employer or consumer to put any love into the food, and it shows. Costs and burden have been passed down to "consumers" and the people who provide labor to make profits for these companies. Shrinkflation, inflation, supply chain ingredient quality, excessive food processing - these companies and this industry as a whole cannot sustainably prioritize food quality, ingredient quality, or the labor experience and pay of their staff. Better off making your own food as much as possible and even growing your own ingredients when possible.

[@something86783]

As much as I can respect someone for liking a good ball pit. Those things were festering cesspits by the time they got rid of them.

[@maryjeanjones7569]

Haven't eaten anything Fast Food in years. Have no interest in garbage food. Cost is irrelevant.

[@konglee7284]

For $18... I'm going to a Buffet

[@kritikal3172]

It's just as the movie Demolition Man predicted. Tacobell will be the only fastfood chain to survive because they were the only ones that could afford to keep their prices low 😂

[@ProclaimedHERETIC]

McDonalds on I-5 in Northern California: $14.99 for a Big Mac Meal. This isn't isolated to a few stores.

[@chriswhisenhunt8973]

This is what happens, when you force McDonalds to pay $20/hour. Now the guy flipping burgers at McDonalds, can't afford McDonalds.

[@tinasmith1391]

What happened since 2019? It's mostly a money problem. The Fed doubled the money supply since then, and remember our money is backed by nothing. What is a house worth? Well in the 1950s it was worth about $7,000. It's also worth one average house. Today's average house is worth closer to $450,000 but the value is the same. One house is worth one house. It's the money that changed.

[@user-un7dz2hy6u]

If we go to a restaurant they want you to tip. Not worth it.

[@coryascott]

The economy has nothing to do with why I don’t buy fast food lol

[@dgdinwiddie]

Weird, I feel like Ron Paul has been warning us that this would happen if the government kept printing and spending at astronomical rates...

[@frankiek2691]

I remember when you could get a big mac MEAL for less than 5 dollars. This is insane. Anybody paying that much for that dogfood is doing so willingly. You could buy almost a whole dozen eggs with that much money in today's economy!!

[@larynOneka8080]

I had no idea people ate this much fast food.

[@zeke5491]

All predicted when minimum wages jumped $5.00 in one year

[@lunalyn911]

McCancer 🍔

[@dashx1103]

The price of cancer is skyrocketing!

[@user-ue1hh5jg6e]

The crazy thing is I went to get a fruit salad, and it was $15 now, and I was at the supermarket .

[@josephmurphy1459]

Last year, I had a chicken sandwich, no fries, and a medium drink from McDonald’s, and it cost me $12.

[@charliebukowski6652]

About the same price I pay for a pub burger that's actually cooked fresh to order.

[@utah_koidragon7117]

Prices are set by supply and demand. Companies will charge as much as people prove themselves willing and able to pay. These higher prices are the consequence of printing trillions and trillions of dollars in a couple of years. Fortunately, nobody is forced to buy or eat fast food. It's possible to feed yourself for 5 bucks a day with staples like rice, beans, eggs, chicken, milk, potatoes, etc. Way cheaper and way healthier.

[@deadgolfer6345]

You seem to be the only one who gets it. Well done.

[@ClownCarCoup]

True

[@pmpwiz]

Not everyone has a fridge and stove. Home cooking is not an option for some people. People are renting single rooms, living in cars, living in tents etc. Lack of affordable housing and rising food costs are killing low income workers.

[@deadgolfer6345]

@@pmpwiz What percentage of Americans have no access to a fridge or stove?

[@utah_koidragon7117]

@@pmpwiz bruh. Come on.

[@outoftheashes_]

As a delivery driver since before the pandemic I will tell you that the people ordering and where are they order from has vastly changed. McDonald's are cutting themselves off at the knees. ( Have you seen their fish filet lately?) They are not cheaper than anyone else anymore yet how do the others maintain their prices better? Just one of many observations.

[@ckwind1971]

If you ate only McDonald's every day but only the max calories recommended, you'd be HUNGRY And sick as well

[@MMAfighter38113]

Taco Bell is the one that is too expensive

[@lethalwastejams5942]

MCDONALDS is MC-PRICE-GAUGING!

[@canuckinsk]

The blame is on Nixon killing gold and every government since printing money. It only got worse with the biggest ever 2008 and 2020 payouts to Wallstreet.

[@zackwalker664]

During quarantine, gas was $1.12/per gallon at discount stores; and $1.56/per gallon everywhere else. Food is more expensive now because people are greedy. Period.

[@mehtacotute]

Fast food skyrocketing prices lately is mostly wage driven.

[@craigdavis1235]

Buy at local restaurants they need your business more anyway.

[@GbUSA321]

I can't remember the last time I ate fast food. I make my own, which is cheaper and much more healthier

[@bobgibson4037]

Kinda feel as though people who are having to cut fast food out of their lives and it's a large impact are probably not going to be going grocery shopping for the healthiest foods either

[@edgarpoe517]

Here in Silicon Valley the Big Mac meal's been around $18 for the past year, maybe longer.

[@mehtacotute]

Cost of goods and labor skyrocketed. Plus lease rates.

[@Gritty_Sauce]

According to Reuters - that Starbucks in Ireland did NOT rebrand to “Vista coffee” to sell Starbucks coffee. That was just a viral post that was wrong…. Do us all a favor - don’t just share something because you want it to be true. That cheapens the power of social media.

[@agoogleuser704]

I’m sure the person who wrote the script for the prompter will see this

[@marclambert1283]

Does anyone believe it's possible for Briahna to get through a segment without mentioning Gaza, even a discussion about fast food prices in the US somehow is connected to the plight of the Palestinians, amazing

[@louislorenzi-prince3842]

Don't blame the workers. People need to "make a living wages" working ONE job. Cheap prices = worker exploitation & 24/7 work.

[@deadgolfer6345]

What happens when people quit paying these prices? assuming they quit paying the prices.

[@Zombierippa]

When I was a kid our school had hamburger Fridays so you could bring 50 cents to school and they would get McDonald's hamburgers for the kids that paid. I would bring a dollar and 2 slices of cheese from home and make mine cheeseburgers😊

[@robinlovestosing]

BJG talking about seed oils... confirmed that she is right wing now 😂😂😂

[@Ruth-os4mi]

At this rate, MacDonald's will be more expensive than Salt Bae.

[@francesshaw2136]

I just ate at a fancy restaurant and had a huge 1/2 lb fancy burger with sweet potato fries for 19 dollars!!

[@tooturtly]

back in my day 19 bucks could get you a dime sack, a couple 32s, and a pizza. :)

[@michaelreyes7125]

LOL, Fast food making the healthier options look affordable, a better option now. No more excuses for choosing fast food over real food.

[@jasonryan3506]

I miss the $5 footlong. It is now the $15 footlong. VOTE JILL STEIN 2024!

[@lethalwastejams5942]

YOU CAN GET 4.5. POUNDS OF GROUND BEEF AT WALMART FOR 18 DOLLARS!

[@feministnewsnetwork3742]

98% of beef is slam. They reopened slam factory in NC after shutting down after Taco Bell sand/slam in tacos with only 34% beef in the beef* I haven't eat there since.

[@patpoole6653]

If you still eat fast food, well that's on you.

[@creichard181]

CANNOT agree with Bree on this one when the prices in grocery stores are gouging us almost just as badly. WE NEED TO REGULATE OR OTHERWISE REIGN IN THESE OUT OF CONTROL FOOD COSTS.

[@luggagecombo12345]

Greedflation

[@mzzquoted1185]

I wonder if all the boycotts affect sales?

[@Alsayid]

Fast food prices have gone through the roof, that's no mirage. Way more than the "official" inflation figures.

[@MrThechromewheels]

Yes. McDonalds has gotten so expensive, we go there much less. $5 for a med coke and their smallest burger

[@magnusgodrik9870]

i thought wars and sanctions caused all this craziness. when did that start?????

[@aliciai.9150]

A blessing in disguise is how I see it.

[@jlasky5696]

Fast food prices(mcds, bk, subway, starbuks & kfc) in thailand have increased at max 20%. But when I was in america in april. It was cheaper for me to go to a full service restaurant than to go to any fast food, so I chose mexican restaurant over taco bell, Pub burger instead of McD's.

[@outoftheashes_]

What's fast food? there's no such thing anymore. When it takes 20 minutes to get a breakfast sandwich and a coffee at McDonald's, there's no such thing as fast food anymore.

[@nicks_mix]

By erasing the only advantage they had (they're already SLOW) McDonalds is pricing themselves out of a market they once owned.

[@Matt-kt9nm]

The pandemic didn't cause price spikes. It was shutting down so many businesses and letting the supply chain fall apart. And all the free money.

[@larskaminskidk]

I live in Denmark and here a big mac menu costs 11.5 US dollars and the Americans have a disposable income which is about twice as high as in Denmark

[@justmyownpersonalopinion]

3% inflation rate😂😂😂 yeah more like profits coming from higher prices.

[@nbttl1975]

From the US of A here. I stopped eating fast food during the pandemic as the entire industry was clearly wanting to phase to a drive thru only model. Even after Covid these restaurants have maintained they want no one inside their lobbies. I was shocked this past week when I had to travel and I stopped at a Wendy's. I ordered two Jr. Cheeseburgers and a drink, and the total was 12 dollars. I stopped at an Arby's and got two limited time only wraps (the sale) and a small fry, it was nearly 14 dollars. These are not big items, these are more moderate snack items. I couldn't imagine if you bought the meal. My coworker mentioned last week a Burger King Whopper meal is nearly 14 bucks. So I hope the industry melts down. It will be better for America, and Global Warming because there will be less SUVs lined up idling for 20-30 mins.