Fast Food Frenzy: Are You Paying Too Much?

Stay away from these overpriced fast food chains! 

Let’s be honest: Everybody enjoys stuffing their faces with fast food meals once in a while! We have cravings, and somehow this type of food is always tastier than what we cook in our kitchen. I won’t start with the never-ending story of how unhealthy and full of sodium and additives these foods are, because this article isn’t about that.

Today we will get into the topic of some of those overpriced fast food chains and how much they raised their prices in the last two years, which makes us start ditching going out for dinner. If you’re planning to give up fast food, you should start with these overpriced fast food chains.

overpriced fast food chains
Photo by jasmina abdul aziz from Shutterstock

Taco Bell

If you are a Taco fan, I am sorry to break it to you, but ordering or going for lunch at Taco Bell isn’t a good idea anymore. Being among those overpriced fast food chains, Taco Bell has some skyrocketing prices for the quality of the food they are offering. I am not saying it’s not tasty because that would be a lie, of course, but it’s just me or their tacos and chalupas shrank overnight?

With US inflation rates on the rise, the Bell has required assistance to stay alive. The cost of their value menu has increased significantly. There has been an increase in the value of boxes to more than $5. A burrito for almost $4? That is unbelievable.

Chick-fil-A

Honestly, deep down, I was hoping that this fast food wouldn’t raise its prices that much. But here we are in 2024 when everything is super expensive, and Chick-fil-A couldn’t stay away from the trend. Certain Chick-fil-A products can be quite expensive. That works out to $16 for a simple meal of chicken fingers. Say what?

Customers do not appear to be discouraged by the increasing pricing, though. Any given lunchtime, I’ve witnessed the double or triple drive-thru lanes at my neighborhood Chick-fil-A looped around the block.

Once in a while, I will still indulge in Chick-fil-A, even if it’s among those overpriced fast food chains.

Long John Silver’s

Do you like fish? If so, then you probably go to Long John Silver’s restaurants more often. Now, you tell me: Is it worth it? Same as any other overpriced fast food chain on the list, they also decided to go up with their prices, which means you will end up paying around $20 for a menu.

Of course, it isn’t filling at all, but it makes a hole in the wallet pretty big. It might be a better idea to purchase your favorite fish and use an air fryer to cook it at home. Tastier and less expensive. Hmm, I know what I will choose!

Arby’s

When it comes to Arby’s, it’s not just a matter of inflation and how badly they increased the prices. They have been doing this for over ten years now. Arby’s makes an effort to provide reasonable prices to get customers to come back. Given that you receive a lot of food for your money and that it’s somewhat less expensive than the $14.50 bacon cheeseburger lunch, their 2-for-6 bargain is appealing.

I have always criticized Arby’s and will do so going forward if they are charging over $15 for a cheeseburger, fries, and a drink. Although their fast-food business is one of the few that serves roast beef sandwiches, is $5 worth of cheap meat on a bun something that you want?

McDonald’s

There is no point in denying that McDonald’s is one of those overpriced fast food chains. With them, the smaller the sand, the more costly it gets. But people still eat from them a lot, so they don’t really care as long as they have customers and the business is flourishing.

Do you remember that Mickey D’s used to charge about $2 for a burger twenty years ago? Heh… those were the times! Now, if you have a combo meal, the cost will likely be double that amount or higher. And the quality—eh, it’s not the same either!

overpriced fast food chains
Photo by Summer_Wind from Shutterstock

Wendy’s

If you grew up eating Wendy’s, you probably already know that it’s one of the priciest fast-food restaurants, costing more than Burger King and McDonald’s. Even if it’s tasty (those French fries, God! ), it’s also consistently been one of the more expensive choices. Wendy’s offered its lowest burger for $.55 in 1971, while the average cost was $.30.

It is only going to go higher in the present economy. In 2007, the Baconator, for instance, cost $4.29 when it was introduced. These days, it costs almost twice as much, at $7.99. You better start cooking your hamburgers at home!

Instead of paying at these overpriced fast food chains, why don’t you cook your crispy chicken fingers right in your kitchen? All you need is a high-quality panko and an energy-efficient air fryer. Pick yours from Amazon’s offer! This air fryer from the Elite Gourmet store might be a good investment at the price of $39.99. While it may seem costly now, think about how much will pay off in the long run. 

Subway

It’s incredible how much influence social media has on everything these days. Even on fast food chains! The sub-chain immediately drew criticism in the media when one of its customers spent $21 for a sandwich last year.

The man complained that the costs “aren’t worth it anymore” on the internet. Customers seem to agree, which is why at-home dining has increased across the country. There was previously a $5-foot-long special at Subway. The sandwich artists had no choice but to cut off this offer due to economic inflation, and they haven’t yet found a substitute.

Pizza Hut

I firmly believe that pizza must be an affordable dish! Because, after all, it contains less expensive ingredients than a burger. But this is not the case for Pizza Hut! Being among all the overpriced fast food chains, their skyrocketing prices aren’t worth it. Period!

A pepperoni pizza, for instance, costs about $8 at Domino’s, which is reasonable. On the other hand, you’re looking at far over $10 at Pizza Hut.

Fuddruckers

Who remembers how great it was before the pandemic? What a time to be alive! Everywhere was way more affordable to eat except at Fuddruckers. They were ahead of time, and in 2019, the franchise said it had to boost its pricing since labor costs were always rising. I don’t know about you, but that was the last time I ate at their place.

It is worthwhile to consider if a 1/3-pound burger is truly worth $8, though. Probably not, as I can get a better, more succulent burger and fries at a real burger restaurant for a few dollars extra.

Five Guys

And we managed to get to the last overpriced fast food chain, the one and only “Five Guys.”Customers quickly became tired of Five Guys’ high costs, even though the idea of the burger restaurant initially gained popularity when fast-casual restaurants began to fiercely compete with established fast-food chains.

For a standard cheeseburger, fries, and a regular-sized drink, some customers are ready to spend $20. The reason they increased the prices? Well, according to them their food is always fresh because they don’t work with frozen products and the portions are quite sizeable too. I don’t know what to say!

Is this a sign that we might be heading towards a healthier world with less fast food? What are your thoughts on this situation? Tell me in the comments section.

…psst! Before leaving take a moment to read about how to save money using coupons

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