A new report reveals the stark reality of rising fast food prices, with McDonald's experiencing the most dramatic increase. Explore the price trends across popular chains and discover which menu items saw the steepest hikes.
Inflation has affected nearly every consumer item, with everything from food and clothing to rent and health care more costly than ever.Even one of life's cheapest little pleasures, fast food, has seen skyrocketing prices in recent years. But not all restaurants have adjusted their prices as dramatically as others. In a new report from Spin Genie, prices at the top fast-food chains were compared from where they were in roughly 2014 and now.
Some fast-food restaurants, like Chipotle, had only minimal price changes, with an average menu item price difference of roughly 6 percent.Fast-food giant McDonald's, on the other hand, had the largest price increase. The average menu item's cost skyrocketed by 138 percent. At McDonald's, cookies skyrocketed in price the most. They're now 400 percent more expensive than in 2014, when they cost just 55 cents.In second place was Panera Bread, which had prices climb by 68 percent. The third most inflated menu prices were at Wendy's, where the average item in 2024 was up 50 percent from 2015.Panera had only two menu items stay inflation-free: a bowl of soup and soup in a sourdough bread bowl. But the Mediterranean veggie sandwich had jumped by 42 percent since 2015, and mac and cheese rose a whopping 112 percent.Wendy's had steep price hikes on the chain's four-piece chicken nuggets, up 172 percent in 10 years. The only prices that stayed the same between 2015 and now are those for a small hot coffee and a small or large Frosty shake.KFC, Arby's and Taco Bell also showed some significant price increases, with the average menu item price difference somewhere between 23 and 34 percent over approximately the past 10 years.Carl's Jr., Cheesecake Factory and Subway had lower price jumps, with the average menu price difference coming in at between 7 and 18 percent.The fast-food chain with the lowest inflation rate was Applebee's, where the average menu item actually decreased by 1.32 percen
FOOD & BEVERAGE INFLATION FAST FOOD PRICES RESTAURANTS MCDONALDS PANERA BREAD WENDYS
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