Kevin Roberts remembers when he could get a bacon cheeseburger, fries and a
drink from Five Guys for $10. But that was years ago. When the Virginia high
school teacher recently visited the fast-food chain, the food alone without a
beverage cost double that amount. Roberts, 38, now only gets fast food “as a
rare treat,” he told CBS MoneyWatch. “Nothing has made me cook at home more than
fast-food prices.” Roberts is hardly alone. Many consumers are expressing
frustration at the surge in fast-food prices, which are starting to scare off
budget-conscious customers. A January poll
[https://www.revenuemanage.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Feb24-RMS-RestaurantConsumers-General.pdf] by
consulting firm Revenue Management Solutions found that about 25% of people who
make under $50,000 were cutting back on fast food, pointing to cost as a
concern.