The US is known for its numerous fast-food chains that are rapidly spreading all over the globe. A few well-known American-based fast-food chains include Taco Bell, KFC, McDonald's, Burger King, and more. These fast-food chains are a global phenomenon that provides customers with quick, affordable, and tasty meals.
However, a recent study showed that there are some fast-food chains in the US that are charging crazy prices for a meal. Keep reading to know which of these fast-food chains are included on the most expensive list.
Fast-food chains in the US: Does expensive mean better?
Recently, Preply conducted a study to find out the most expensive fast-food chain in the US. Preply also tried to find out some of the most expensive restaurants in certain cities. To do this, they studied the language of 57,245 reviews for over 10,000 restaurants.
The study took into consideration reviews that included the words 'expensive,' 'overpriced,' 'rip off,' 'pricey,' and more. During this study, two fast-food chains stood out on the list.
The first is Shake Shack and Five Guys gets second place.
The majority of the complaints for Shake Shack included the fact that it was 'overpriced'. While the reviews for Five Guys mainly had the word 'out of control' prices on it.
Shake Shack's CFO had something to add to the rise in prices. Katie Fogertey mentioned that there was a 3% hike in the menu prices of Shake Shack.
To add more names to the list of 2024, Chipotle also received some backlash from its customers. Due to the increase in prices of the Chipotle menu, customers are actively choosing to spend their money somewhere else, preferably at a competitor chain.
Another popular US fast food chain is also facing the same issue. A study showed that McDonald's had a 100% price hike, which the company later claimed was not true. A McDonald's spokesperson addressed this issue to The Post, saying,
"As the report itself notes, pricing is set by individual franchisees and varies by restaurant... This is not an accurate representation of historical or current pricing at McDonald’s restaurants, and the 2024 average prices listed are significantly inflated."
In addition to this statement, Joe Erlinger, the president of McDonald’s USA, added that the menu prices did not in fact go up by 100%, but just by a fraction. He gave the example of the price of a Big Mac, on average the price would have been increased by 21%.
While on the topic of restaurants and fast-food chains, the study also found out that celebrity-owned restaurants do not deliver quality food in comparison to their prices. For example, Gordon Ramsay's restaurants were put on blast for the extremely expensive food.
This is what the Preply report had to say regarding celebrity-owned restaurants,
"While diners may be willing to pay a premium for a trendy atmosphere and their favorite celebrity chef's name on the building, they can feel let down if the food served and service offered don't match the quality they anticipated," the report states."
Additionally, regarding Ramsay's restaurants,
"The imbalance between Ramsay's star power and the actual dining experience often leaves visitors questioning whether they've paid for fame rather than flavor."
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Shake Shack followed by Five Guys takes the top spots in the most expensive fast-food list according to the study done by Preply.
In case you were wondering what other fast-food chains are included, a few of them are Sugar Factory, standing at number 3. Lupe Tortilla Mexican Restaurant, Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet, Ruth's Chris Steak House, and Peter Piper Pizza were also included.
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