Wendy's and other fast food chains have been raising their prices by around 10% due to rising food costs this year. Still, one woman is getting a lot of attention for complaining about the price of a Wendy's $12 combo meal.
TikToker Denise Juarez, who uploads under the handle @franklin_thebulldog, took to social media to express her frustration about how expensive it has become to eat out.
In the TikTok video, the woman posted a clip of her in her car talking about the increasing cost of food at fast food restaurants with her receipt from Wendy's.
She says in the video:
"Just about to eat my $12 lunch from Wendy's. I don't know what you guys think about money, but I always think the next amount up, so that's $8 away from a 20-dollar bill. Why are a burger, fries, and a fountain pop almost $12? This inflation sh*t has got to go."
The video has had over 37600 views, and the TikToker has turned off the previous comments from her post.
Wendy's has increased their prices this year, but other fast food chains put up prices in 2022.
So, how much have prices gone up? Let's take a look.
Inflation's impact across fast food chains
Fast food chains like Wendy's, McDonald's, and Burger King have raised their prices this year due to inflationary pressures.
An article by Nation's Restaurant News, from October 5, 2022, entitled, Are consumers hitting a price increase breaking point? showed Wendy's "increased prices by 18.9% from $8.61 for an average meal price of $10.25 in 2022;."
Other fast food chains have also increased their prices, with Nation's Restaurant News noting:
"Jack in the Box, which grew its prices 15.6% from $8.82 to $10.20; Five Guys, whose prices went up $13.5%; and McDonald's, where a burger, fries, and a soda, could cost you 11.3% more in 2022 than it did last year."
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index, food away from home prices increased 8% from Aug. 2021 to Aug. 2022. The Bureau explains:
The all-items Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure of economy-wide inflation, increased by 0.2 percent from August 2022 to September 2022 and was up 8.2 percent from September 2021. The CPI for all food increased 0.7 percent from August 2022 to September 2022, and food prices were 11.2 percent higher than in September 2021. - USDA
Final thoughts
The complaints in the video have resonated with many people. Food prices are constantly on the rise, and inflation has been rising since 2020.
Some restaurants have countered this by removing some items from their menu. Some have added special deals on their apps, such as Wendy's. Those that still need to increase their prices may be forced to do so.
As of October 24, 2022, there were 5,901 Wendys restaurants in the US. Florida has the most number of locations, with 523. This is about 9% of all the company's locations in the country. In California, there are 296 stores, which is about 5% of the total, and one store for every 137,190 people (via ScrapeHero).
What do you think about this?
Do you agree with the video? Share your thoughts in the comments, and feel free to share this article on social media and with your friends and family if you'd like.
Disclaimer: This article is only for educational and informational purposes.
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