How Inflation and Supply Chain Issues Are Reshaping Fast Food Value Menus | WSJ

Value menus shot to popularity in the ‘90s after the burger wars consumed the fast-food industry. And thanks to Americans’ love for cheap eats, they’ve stuck around. WSJ’s Heather Haddon explains how inflation and supply-chain issues are changing the value menu.

Illustration: Adele Morgan

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#FastFood #Inflation #WSJ

[acidfroggy]

The real tragedy about inflation is that consumer prices don't return to what they were in the past when inflation subsides. Inflation just slows down. For example, consider what fast foods cost in 1970. Even when inflation subsides, we'll never return to those prices--even if we go into a depression.

[vBDKv]

When prices are high, I do NOT spend money on fast food. I cook at home instead. It's cheaper, healthier and tastes better too. Sometimes a meal even last (for 2 people) 2 days.

[johnlafrance]

Inflation might single handedly lower obesity in america

[Ryan-wrfx]

Prices are going up at these restaurants, and you know they are never going back down

[franco]

Shrinkflation has hit fast food sandwiches. Now a bun is the size of a cookie.

[TopGKev]

Not only are fast food value prices higher, you pay more with your health.

[Krystal_Kitty]

Eat fast food about once or twice a week I have noticed McDonald's and Burger King down sized their patties, not worth the money anymore. Rather buy a pack of frozen patties for the cost of 2 or 3 whopper meals.

[whodat]

Rather than paying more for a fast food burger meal, I choose to pay more for a real restaurant meal. $15 for a whopper combo is whack!

[artie]

We stopped eating fast food since they're just as costly as a sit down restaurant now. Especially fast casual who are all expecting tips even though there are zero servers or dining room workers.

[divebombstudios]

I live in vegas, 2 combos from Carls Jr is almost 30.00, more than 1/2 the cost of eating at a sit down restaurant. Its just not a financial viable option. If you make $15/hr, it takes you almost 2 hours of work to pay for 1 meal. Imagine if you ate their 4x a month. Since the beginning of the year, I'll only eat fast food if their offering some kind of deals through their apps. Sonic is a great example of food app deals.

[nomaderic]

Me and my brother spent a good portion of our 20s eating at taco bell almost every single day. Reason being was they had burritos for 1 dollar. We would each get two and that would be dinner. They got rid of em close to a year ago and I haven't been to taco bell since. Don't see a point. If their prices are now the same as a Mexican place then why not just go to the Mexican place.

[TheMrFishnDucks]

I've just started going to where my dollar takes me further and only going to the main fast foods when they have a super low meal price or combo. Nice video. Keep up the good work.

[freshbingo]

Literally blame everything on earth except corporate greed.

[mcdx]

Burgers will have a hole in the middle of the patty. This will lead to a hole all the way through the bun, patty and vegetables. Donut burger.

[donarrivas]

The fast food industry is probably doing well because America is 1 of the world top agricultural producers. Most big chains have their own farms and trucking services, worldwide.

[BobbyReborn]

There was a time when Burger King tried to match McDonald’s $1 McDoubles… those were the days

[ImVeryBrad]

In Canada my family of 4 at McDonalds is over $40. Total rip off for garbage food. We now only eat off value menus when we got for half the cost

[mathisnotforthefaintofheart]

I stopped going to fast food. Even before Corona I found prices too high for what you are getting. More than once, the basket of fries at MD were never properly filled. And when I brought that to the manager's attention, he would say "that is how much we fill those". Bye...Home cooking tastes so much better. I bring my food to work. Cheaper and healthier...

[SMEARGLEX]

No lie, seeing the old McDonald's Menu Sheets gave me a massive wave of Nostalgia. Man, I miss those Menu Sheets over the TV Menu Screens.

[هذاأنا-ذث]

The best value menu is buying in bulk and cooking your own food. You can feed a family of 5 healthy food for a $1000/month.

Now, eat those 'value menu items' and it costs at least $5 a meal. That is at least $15/day per person. For a family of 5 that is $75/day = $2250/month of junk food and you are not even feeling full.