Fast food prices on the rise frustrates customers in Florida: 'It’s definitely out of control'
ORLANDO, Fla. - In today's economy, fast food prices are fluctuating like everything else – and prices on the menu might not appear as they seem.
"It’s definitely out of control. I just had breakfast (at McDonald's). An orange juice, sausage, egg and cheese, and hash brown, it was $13.50 – and that’s a lot of money," said customer Robert Desidero.
FOX 35's Morgan Parish visited the drive-thru at the Lake Mary location herself. She asked employees if everything on their Dollar Menu was actually a dollar. The answer was no.
Those who are looking to get a quick bite in while on the move in the early hours may be in for a surprise. Breakfast combos at fast food chains are steadily rising.
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index, prices have spiked more than 5% in the last year.
(Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
"It's ridiculous you get less product and more money," said Paul Duncan, who swung by McDonald's on his way to work.
"I ordered a bacon, egg and cheese McGriddle meal, and they left the hash browns for somebody else. Almost $7 for that and a Coke. It’s ridiculous," he said.
FOX 35 spoke with a consumer price index economist who said eating out has gone up nearly 25% since March 2020.
"One thing we’ve seen during the pandemic, we had high inflation and high food inflation the highest in decades. If you think of what typically drives this kind of price change, food away from home, it's very often wages, labor costs and those have gone up and contributed to some of the increases we see," said Steve Reed, an economist with the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Costco's $1.50 hot dog and soda combo may not be around forever
Costco’s hot dog and soda combo has long been a fixture of its food court, and so has the $1.50 price.
Reed said another factor would be the input cost of foods.
"If you look at a lot of categories of the things we buy, they’re up quite a bit since 2020. A lot of things have flattened out now, but in general, we’re looking at prices being substantially higher than before the pandemic began," Reed added.
"The Dollar Menu I don’t think it exists anymore, to tell you the truth. I think them days are over with dollar menus and stuff, but for the most part it's expensive to eat," Desidero said.
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"Five Guys prices are out of control," the X user wrote. "$24 for one person."
There are some alternatives, though.
"I try to cook at home," Desidero added.
And as far as prices dropping any time soon, experts say not to bank on it.
"My suspicion is breakfast food prices at restaurants have similar trends to overall prices," Reed said. "I don’t see any reason why there’d be a big difference there."