We've just gotten spoiled. In NY, the McD sodas (all sizes) went from $1 to $1.29, and I thought that was bad, BUT if you go to BK, Wendy's, KFC, etc. they're all higher, like the price McD in the Villages is charging. I wasn't aware McD had size structured pricing of sodas anymore. Good to know. I can go to where the burgers are better without paying more, and McD burgers aren't that good. I'll probably eat at BK more when at TV and needing a drive through.

Want to beat inflation? Ask for a free cup for water and drink water with your meal. Eventually you can learn to enjoy it or even prefer it. My doctor told me to stop drinking last summer, and I started dating a woman who rarely drinks. Suddenly, going to expensive restaurants, meals were cheaper by the price of two cocktails and a glass of wine—say, around $40. No charge for the water. But I leave the same generous tips I left before, as my not drinking is not the fault of the waitress.

The McD in Milan MI has any size soft drink for $1.25

Did coffee go up as much? MD has excellent coffee. Senior coffee was 79 cents with a free refill. Whatever the price it will beat Starbucks!

About impossible to get out of any restaurant now days for less than $50 with tip. Now if you add drinks and desert then it really gets nuts.
A reason we eat at home a lot and in many cases tastier and healthier too.

Yep. My breakfast sandwich and drink that was $5.86 for the last year is now $7.15, a 22% increase. I've decided to stop doing breakfast at McDonalds.

Ahh.......Try door number 3. Inflation is around 4%....Ronald's "net" profits up 16.93%
McDonald's revenue soars as it hikes menu prices: '$18 Big Macs'

That's where they make the bulk of their profit, in addition to fries. Their regular burgers are sold only pennies above cost. Other sandwiches (doubles, big macs, fish, chicken) bring in profits for sure.

But nothing like their fries and soft drinks. Those two items are what keeps them in business. Without them, the single cheeseburger would cost around $3.00, a Fish sandwich would climb up to $7 and a Big Mac would likely be closer to $10.

As for me, I don't buy beverages at fast food joints - EXCEPT when McDonalds is having a sale on the frozen coke and I'm in the mood for one. That and sometimes a slushie at Sonic, which is half-price when I get a sandwich.

When I worked at Burger King years ago, there was a sticker on the fry bin reminding us that over-filling the fries was encouraged, and it was OKAY to dump out fries that weren't crisp. That's because the customers were paying so much more than the fries were worth, that the sheer number of fry orders vastly outweighed the loss.

Looks like Burger King is having problems. Store near us (Spanish Springs) parking lot and drive thru lines always empty

A new McD franchise costs between $1,300,000 and $2,300,000. An existing franchise will cost upwards of $1,000,000. These franchisees will do whatever is required to make a profit! Isn't that reasonable?

Yes...that is very reasonable. What is not is the OP deliberately skirting the rules of a ban on political comment to suggest that "inflation" (which we all know who he is trying to blame for that is) becomes the reason why his hamburger cost so much. It was cowardly but I must admit a nice try!!:eclipsee_gold_cup:

It ain’t just the Villages!
 

A QPC with large fries and sprite cost $16.10 in Idaho!

$16 for a burger, fries and soda: McDonald's customers slam franchise, fume it's 'no longer affordable'

Am I reading this right??

You leave a tip on the drinks that you didn’t order???

$16 for a burger, fries and soda: McDonald's customers slam franchise, fume it's 'no longer affordable'

:
MCDONALD'S

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It was a not-so-happy meal.

An enraged McDonald’s customer says the fast food franchise is no longer affordable for ordinary Americans, calling the company’s contemporary prices “crazy.”

“So, I get there’s a labor shortage, I get there’s wage increases and a number of other things,” Idaho man Christopher Olive began in a viral TikTok clip, which has recently resurfaced.

“But $16? $16 for a burger, a large fry and a drink? It’s just crazy!” the flabbergasted content creator complained, panning to his itemized receipt from a McDonald’s restaurant in the city of Post Falls.

I don’t mind them making a reasonable profit.

Were they making a profit three weeks ago when they charged $1.59 or were they losing money?? If they were losing money, they should increase prices. But when inflation is running about 4% and they increase prices 70% in less than three weeks it seems like an excessive increase - unless there were external factors affecting prices. Worldwide sugar shortage, etc.