Nearly 80% of Americans now view fast food as a luxury
Nearly 80% of Americans now view fast food as a luxury
Prices keep going up, quality keeps going down. Smart to avoid it.
99You're supposed to be cutting quality in exchange for price and speed. If the prices are up there's no incentive to get it at all. If I wanted 100x the recommended monthly sodium intake all in a single meal I'm sure there are cheaper ways to find it.
32Also McDonald's seems to take forever these days. I had it in February in Portugal, and waited 20min for my food. Same experience when I have it here in Germany (maybe 1-2 per year)
8Yeah i think id prefer a glass of saltwater and a parking ticket, frankly
5
There was an immigrant friend of the family who during the Bush era (this was during what I would call the 'height' of the Muslim panic), who basically made the argument to me that even with all the hate, all the war-mongering, all the bullshit, that the US was the best country in the world. When we pressed him for why, his argument was basically, "The McDonald's Dollar menu".
This is decades ago, but his argument was that in-spite of everything else, he knew that in Amercica, at least his children would not starve, because they would always be able to afford 'something', however unhealthy, from the dollar menu.
I don't think that America exists any more.
78Wow your friend needs an education badly. Imagine thinking mcds is better than rice and beans...
1
Fast food isn't a luxury. A luxury is something extravagant, high quality, and highly enjoyable. Fast food is simply an overpriced disappointment.
61it's obviously a luxury of convenience. nobody has ever claimed fast food was extravagant or high quality.
26If that's the case, a luxury of convenience, then fast food was and still is a luxury. Or maybe fast food was an $affordable luxury of convenience and now it is an $$$expensive luxury of convenience. Ok, that makes sense to me.
6
It barely tastes like food to me anymore!
I dont eat much meat, but i still like a good crispy chicken sandwich- now that costs $12, is so brined and salty i get kinda grossed out, and has 3 gristley bits i have to spit into a napkin. And i sweat grease and stink for a day.
7Sweat grease and stink? Bruh go to a doctor lol
0
A luxury is something extravagant, high quality, and highly enjoyable.
30 years ago, fast food may hit the "highly enjoyable" part... but now, for many, it's hitting the "something extravagant" part because of the cost (proportional to their disposable income)
3You question reclassifing 7-11 as a Luxury Retail Outlet?
3The first half of this post is completely incorrect.
1
This feels like they're implying it's a luxury like a lambo when it's more so a luxury like an extra piece of cake. Just because people are realizing they shouldn't eat out every night doesn't mean it's "luxurious" to got to BK. It's an unnecessary expense, that's all.
33The prices have doubled though, and wages haven't budged. I used to consider a sit down meal a luxury, now fast food is almost as expensive. I used to buy a $2 lunch. Now I skip lunch most of the time.
8It's overpriced to begin with
8
Next step... Americans to view food as a luxury
33Someone in another thread tried to convince me food is a luxury already lol saying people should not expect to buy meat and vegetables at the grocery store if they cost too much.
16
Well yeah, that shit's expensive.
32This is what sparks the franchise wars that demolition man predicted.
28Demolition Man was a cyberpunk dystopian prediction taken to the absurd in order to be palatable to the masses. Really, though, who's to say what eventual conglomerate will be on top. Tangential revenue streams and strange mergers could make tomorrow's winners. Either way, the rest of us lose.
4
I mean, I know their economy is falling apart. But good, those fuckers need to lose some damn weight. Australia too, per Capita we're now one of the fattest countries on Earth.
USA has only succeeded in exports twice, number 1 being war, number 2 being obesity.
27Fast food isn’t to blame for all the weight problems. High carbs, high fats, highly processed foods in general are to blame, along with sedentary lifestyles. Fast food is carbs, fats, and highly processed, but if you’re poor I can’t see eating out all the time. Having take-out or hitting a McD’s is pretty rare, it just costs too much.
10We also got screwed over on portions at all these fast food and restaurants. McDonald's legit made their food so cheap that you would buy two cheeseburgers, and you might as well make it a meal with an oversized drink and oversized french fry. Then we all got used to more food, subtly convinced that was the norm. Hell, a large soda was cheaper than a bottle of water!
It's not normal to have a 1500-2000 calorie meal like that.
6Ok, so it's a long history of piss poor dietary choices as well then. You can decide not to eat fast food.
1
That's just historically incorrect, we sold a lot of cotton under slavery.
5Ok you got me there.
1
The slice of the imitation cheese food slice on the McDs fish sandwich is 1/3 of a slice of imitation cheese food slice.
That used to be my road trip meal. Now I brown bag it because for the same prices I can have Boars head with an actual whole slice of actual real cheese.
Also, I know it's better for the world, but paper straws suck donkey balls.
26
19My wife and I were running around doing errands and stopped for a quick lunch at Carl's Jr.
$25(!) For 2 people! At Carl's Jr!
18Here's their current featured combo in the Los Angeles area before tax...
17I can visit actual full service restaurants and get a similar burger (with a bigger patty and better quality) for about $16 that comes with fries. A drink might be $2.
Because the US is stupid, I'll have to tip. But that's only like $3.
Overall, that's only two bucks more after tipping.
Fast food is the same price, for worse food, and worse service. They've forgotten their place.
6
Yeah we just go out to good food now and spend the same money.
10Hardees/Carl's Jr. Has always been stupid expensive for fast food, at least in my area
6
How long before Wendy's is a lunch time stock market?
But rest assured, capitalism is the only successful model and every instance of socialism has failed in human history. /s
14They "responded to the feedback" (ie tested the waters with a batshit idea on purpose), so at least a year or so before they more quietly broach the idea again.
4
I hope it makes us healthier.
12I do hope that in the coming years, food culture becomes more focused on nutrition and sustainability, rather than profit, but that's a good ways away in the US.
2
That is actually a good thing?
11I think so.
2
When you can go to Aldi or Costco and get 10x the volume of food for the exact same price, yeah, it's a luxury good. It's just bad for you and tastes like shit usually.
11Aldi is a life saver
4
eating out is a luxury
10I think it's a healthy part of a relationship and shows consideration for one's partner.
ETA: Thanks for the perfect setup.
3
Always has been a luxury
8We viewed it as a luxury 40 years ago. A McIceCreamCone was a treat when it was 40c. Now? Dig out that tooth fairy money, son, and get your own damned mcFlurry, and start that learning process.
8Last time I was there I bought 4 basic combos and it was about 35 or 40 CAD. RIP. This is a lot more than I remember paying a few years ago for the same thing
7