The ridiculous cost of fast food now

[Stomper]

It's relatively fast, it's convenient and usually hot. Sometimes that's all I'm really asking for in a meal.

Sounds like, "meal" may be code-speak for, "girlfriend".

 

[Diamondback]

It's nuts how expensive fast food really is now. McDonald's took away their dollar menu and jacked their prices up and they wonder why people aren't going there as often. It isn't rocket science, if I'm paying out the a$$ for a burger, I might as well go to a full service place.
Plus the whole tipped wage thing is weird to me, like I'm not responsible for a business to pay their wages to their employees.
When I worked at a local fish and chip place in high school before I joined the USAF, WA min wage was $8.65 per hour at that time.

I remember when tips where gratuities to recognize superior service... but since the IRS decided they were missing out on tax revenue, they tax waitstaff on the assumption that they're getting 10% of their annual sales on top of hourly wages.

 

[Diamondback]

DAMN! I have not yet been to one either. Have heard they make a great sandwich but if its that high? I doubt I will want to.

Not that bad, I wanna say the one here is usually $15 for a full breakfast or $10 for lunch/dinner sandwiches. Many conservatives don't like them for Going Woke on cultural issues, so you should be aware of that, and their abandoning the longstandng "no antibiotics ever" pledge.

 

[Diamondback]

So does their old slogan…. "Make a run for the border".

Um, that was Taco Hell, fuelers of the mighty Fartjar.

 

[Mikej]

When I worked at a local fish and chip place in high school before I joined the USAF, WA min wage was $8.65 per hour at that time.

Got to bring his in here now.......

View: https://youtu.be/MRbeBV5UEZU

I remember when tips where gratuities to recognize superior service... but since the IRS decided they were missing out on tax revenue, they tax waitstaff on the assumption that they're getting 10% of their annual sales on top of hourly wages.

Mid '70s in Utah, they knew a good (Fair?) way to do it. The, before she was fist wife, worked 40hrs a week at a local chain restaurant comparable to Denny's. Waitresses made les that minimum wage, but got tips. She made $1.95/hr. When tax time came, claimed income for that type of job was up to minimum wage. It was reasonably difficult work. There were no worries over if a person did make more than minimum wage though.

 

[Nosferatu]

The reason it is called fast food is not because of the speed of the delivery of the food ....
But because of the speed of which it empties your wallet....
Andy

I thought it was due to the speed in which it empties your bowels.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I thought it was due to the speed in which it empties your bowels.

That too...

Hmmm...
I could see a new line of fast food restaurant chains called....
Bowel Wow
Andy

 

[25-06]

A lot of "living wage" rhetoric is powered by Socialist ideas. The demand that someone's labor which produces very little value to society at a fast food joint or at a Hot Topic store should by necessity equal trade value for everyone else's labor, products, and technology, is ludicrous.

Contrary to what some opponents of the "living wage" minimum wage may argue today, there is no question FDR intended for the minimum wage to support the wages of fully employed adult men and women working in professional trades, not merely teenagers working part-time jobs or those in entry-level positions. He believed it would be an important economic driver to help the economy recover by increasing the purchasing power of a substantial portion of the adult workforce.

 

[Nosferatu]

That too...

Hmmm...
I could see a new line of fast food restaurant chains called....
Bowel Wow
Andy

I like Asian food.

Maybe 'Pup Tu Sun' would be an altenative.

 

[Nosferatu]

Contrary to what some opponents of the "living wage" minimum wage may argue today, there is no question FDR intended for the minimum wage to support the wages of fully employed adult men and women working in professional trades, not merely teenagers working part-time jobs or those in entry-level positions. He believed it would be an important economic driver to help the economy recover by increasing the purchasing power of a substantial portion of the adult workforce.

And like most laws meant to solve a short term problem, should have come with a sunset clause.

 

[ZorkNation]

I know it's not the healthiest choice, but I've been known to indulge in the occasional fast food binge every now and then.

Back in the day (late 90s), I could do so for a few bucks, because Burger King Whoppers were 99 cents.

I went by BK the other day for the first time in years, and - lo and behold, the Whopper is now more than $8… for just the sandwich

WOW.

View attachment 1852719

Ask for the $5 BOGO with Whopper Jrs

 

[Diamondback]

Mobile-app coupons and rewards programs help immensely too, as does a maneuver I call the "Gift Card Shuffle."

1. Buy gift cards at the grocery store, get rewards points for a little off at the pump.
2. Redeem at restaurant, especially when they have something like Double Points Day, for points toward free food there.

And then you have the promos Amazon Go gives Prime members, which makes me wonder how they plan to turn a profit... last week $25 of pretty good made to order food for $10.

 

[nammac]

Contrary to what some opponents of the "living wage" minimum wage may argue today, there is no question FDR intended for the minimum wage to support the wages of fully employed adult men and women working in professional trades, not merely teenagers working part-time jobs or those in entry-level positions. He believed it would be an important economic driver to help the economy recover by increasing the purchasing power of a substantial portion of the adult workforce.

So, taking that FDR model, minimum wage being a working wage, it was a whopping .25/hr in 1938, pull that forward to 2024 and minimum wage should be $6.50/hr today…

A far cry from the $20-$25/hr we're living with in some locations today. Even federal minimum wage is more generous than FDR's model at $7.25/hr.

Sorry but I don't see fast food as a $20/hr type occupation. Nor cashiering, at any level, especially today with bar codes, scanning and automated electronic registers. Tell me why the guy or gal waving you into Kaady Car Wash is worth $20/hr, makes no sense.

Those who want more than minimum wage need to get an education or trade and move up the economic scale. This falsely pushing people up the economic scale leads to increased inflation. Hell I was well into my IT career before I saw $20/hr type of salary. Something I went to school for and paid for to move myself off the minimum wage baseline.

A real skill, with real value, not bagging groceries or flipping burgers….

Wow, that was a rant….

 

[parallax]

I rarely eat fast food, but yesterday we went to KFC on the way back from some business, I got a #7..meal box combo. with 4 chicken strips, a small box of fries,a biscuit a small coleslaw. ( about 4 " around and 2' thick ). and a soft drink for $14 and some change. the girl wanted to know if i would want to add a dollar for local food organizations. I told her, no thanks,," we ARE the poor people you are trying to help" she didn't even crack a smile..

 

[CamoDeafie]

So, taking that FDR model, minimum wage being a working wage, it was a whopping .25/hr in 1938, pull that forward to 2024 and minimum wage should be $6.50/hr today…

A far cry from the $20-$25/hr we're living with in some locations today. Even federal minimum wage is more generous than FDR's model at $7.25/hr.

Sorry but I don't see fast food as a $20/hr type occupation. Nor cashiering, at any level, especially today with bar codes, scanning and automated electronic registers. Tell me why the guy or gal waving you into Kaady Car Wash is worth $20/hr, makes no sense.

Those who want more than minimum wage need to get an education or trade and move up the economic scale. This falsely pushing people up the economic scale leads to increased inflation. Hell I was well into my IT career before I saw $20/hr type of salary. Something I went to school for and paid for to move myself off the minimum wage baseline.

A real skill, with real value, not bagging groceries or flipping burgers….

Wow, that was a rant….

Indeed.

Corollary; tell me why a guy flipping burgers is worth giving a significant wage increase, while the guys machining and manufacturing the stuff y'all use is not

Back in 2001ish, the average (mean) hourly wages for CNC Machinists/operators was $14.26 (this seems way low compared to 50th percentile), 50th percentile $20.19, 90th percentile (the highest paid group), $33.50...

But now?
"Mean", $24.72/ hour. 50th percentile $23.32 (huh there's a big change here); 90th percentile, $34.53/ hour..

Ok ya mean to tell me.. between 2001 and 2022, the most current data available.. the wages for the 50th percentile and 90th percentiles only increased by a tiny little bit?

On the other hand, 1997 minimum hourly wage federally was $5.15, and then now as of 2023, $7.25,...

 

[nammac]

Indeed.

Corollary; tell me why a guy flipping burgers is worth giving a significant wage increase, while the guys machining and manufacturing the stuff y'all use is not

Back in 2001ish, the average (mean) hourly wages for CNC Machinists/operators was $14.26 (this seems way low compared to 50th percentile), 50th percentile $20.19, 90th percentile (the highest paid group), $33.50...

But now?
"Mean", $24.72/ hour. 50th percentile $23.32 (huh there's a big change here); 90th percentile, $34.53/ hour..

Ok ya mean to tell me.. between 2001 and 2022, the most current data available.. the wages for the 50th percentile and 90th percentiles only increased by a tiny little bit?

On the other hand, 1997 minimum hourly wage federally was $5.15, and then now as of 2023, $7.25,...

Exactly.

 

[Alexx1401]

So, taking that FDR model, minimum wage being a working wage, it was a whopping .25/hr in 1938, pull that forward to 2024 and minimum wage should be $6.50/hr today…

A far cry from the $20-$25/hr we're living with in some locations today. Even federal minimum wage is more generous than FDR's model at $7.25/hr.

Sorry but I don't see fast food as a $20/hr type occupation. Nor cashiering, at any level, especially today with bar codes, scanning and automated electronic registers. Tell me why the guy or gal waving you into Kaady Car Wash is worth $20/hr, makes no sense.

Those who want more than minimum wage need to get an education or trade and move up the economic scale. This falsely pushing people up the economic scale leads to increased inflation. Hell I was well into my IT career before I saw $20/hr type of salary. Something I went to school for and paid for to move myself off the minimum wage baseline.

A real skill, with real value, not bagging groceries or flipping burgers….

Wow, that was a rant….

THIS!!
Many LOVE to go back to what it was like long before they were born and pretend nothing has changed. Those working a min wage job now have opportunities out the butt compared to what it was like when FDR was in power. Those crying about min wage would not know how to stay alive in FDR's day if they were suddenly transported back there. This is why we have so many GOOD paying jobs going begging here now. So many who want to make 50K a year to do some brain dead job will not lift a finger to do better by LEARNING something. In 99 or 2000 we had this going, jobs begging. Stopped at a burger joint at lunch one night. Girl taking my money was complaining about manager made a mistake on till and she almost gave me way too much money. He ignored her. She mumbled they probably would have taken it out of her check. I asked her if she was 18? She said yes. I said we are hiring across the street. Min wage at that time was like $5, we started people who knew NOTHING at twice that will great benefits. All the kids working stopped what they were doing to look at me. Manager who had ignored girl tells me she is not a good worker. He had a panicked look on his face like his whole crew was going to follow me out the door. When I said you have to work 5 days a week all the kids faces fell and they went back to what they were doing. Making twice min wage if it meant working 40 hours a week was a non starter. Yet every one of them no doubt complained about what they made.

 

[Ducati_Meister]

I thought it was due to the speed in which it empties your bowels.

Get enough grease in your gut to make you crap for an hour....

 

[nammac]

Get enough grease in your gut to make you crap for an hour....

Taco Bell does that for me. It's like STP Oil Treatment for the digestive system…

 

[Ducati_Meister]

Taco Bell does that for me. It's like STP Oil Treatment for the digestive system…

Place to go to, after eating MREs on a field exercise lol.