Do Dollar Fast Food Menus Still Even Exist?
Dollar menus were a popular addition to fast food chains in the 2000s and 2010s back when a $1 product was seen as a pretty cheap price tag but still seemed lucrative enough for companies to justify a dollar menu. Fast food restaurants with value menus offered customers cheap, no-frills products that were a staple for low-income families, students, and basically anyone hoping to find the best bang for their buck. In 2018, McDonald's debuted their $1 $2 $3 menu, where you could get a sausage biscuit, a McChicken, or any sized drink for just $1. According to one frustrated TikToker, that menu still exists at McDonald's, although they found that none of the food items are actually priced at $1 as of 2023. Taco Bell, another fast food chain that built a reputation for offering quick, cheap eats, has changed its dollar menu to a new "Cravings Value Menu," which offers slightly more menu items and an increased price. Only the cheesy roll-up is listed at $1 per the Taco Bell website, and let's be honest... you could definitely make that at home.
According to a MoneyGeek survey, the average fast food meal costs $15.30 in San Francisco, $14.59 in Los Angeles, and $14.22 in New York City. However, it isn't just the big cities that have been affected by a massive increase in fast food prices. All over the country, inflation has caused companies to raise the prices of goods, effectively putting the possibility of a dollar menu out of the question.
Fast food inflation is a real thing
A study by FinanceBuzz collected and compared the prices of major fast-food franchises from 2014 to 2024, and the findings don't look so good for our wallets. Based on the data, the average price has risen by 34% on the low end and 100% on the high end. Sadly for Big Mac lovers, McDonald's was found to be the franchise with the highest spike over the past decade, followed by Popeyes, Taco Bell, and Chipotle. At McDonald's, sandwiches that used to cost $1.19 have spiked to $3.19, and a small fry that once cost $1.59 will now set you back $3.79. On a small scale, the price increase doesn't seem all that drastic, but when you add up a few items to make a meal and then multiply it for people hoping to feed every member of their family, the price hikes up rather quickly. Fast food chains have been under fire in recent years for this very issue – while these establishments once offered customers a low-cost alternative to dining out, people are now spending nearly as much on a trip to the drive-thru as they would at a sit-down casual restaurant.
Sadly, as things continue to get even more expensive, the dollar menu may soon become extinct. Who knows, in a few years, $5 may be the new $1, and we could be rejoicing that you can snag a 6-piece McNugget or a Doritos Locos Taco for under $10. So while a few popular chains still seem to have some items priced at $1, these are becoming fewer and farther between.