Chain restaurant price increase chart from Finance Buzz

[SC Maintenance]

I think I can post this here, giving credit to the source. https://financebuzz.com/fast-casual-inflation-data-study

What we all knew is now official. They compiled price increases over the last 5 years using official menu's. Chain restaurant prices have greatly exceeded inflation in most cases.

I stick to the local places where possible anyway. They seem more reasonable.

 

[Brons2]

I agree, restaurant prices have gone up a lot and we eat out less because of it. When we do eat out, I often look for the cheaper items on the menu, to reduce the cost. And get water instead of a soda or beer as beverage prices have gone up as well, sodas are often more than $3 now.

It helps that I'm really not that picky with food, I'll eat pretty much anything if I'm hungry enough.

 

[LazyDog]

We eat less and do more take outs.

 

[alarmguy]

Wife and I eat out every weekend. Many times, Longhorn (which is still reasonable) Bonefish Grill getting pricey and recently changed their menu that I am not happy about at all. Took away my favorite healthy meal. Mahi-Mahi and Shrimp as well as many of their "straight" selections. They seem to be moving towards what a lot of restaurants do, less healthy fast food type selections in order to survive I guess. After all this is the junk that a lot of Americans eat. I hate it.

Most other places are more local and we have a lot in the area and the food really good but yeah, getting pricey too. Once in a while we talk about cutting back one weekend a month. It's not like we spend a lot (compared to some in here) but it still comes in at $300 to $350 a month. Not that it is the only thing that bothers us but the stuff isnt anything special anymore. I dont know, we are getting close to spending around $70+ for a meal and it's not something special, meaning dining experience, food, service etc.

For just over $100 we can go to one of two really good (buffet style) unlimited crab legs and good quality other selections which we do at times, but not too often between price and the fact that we over eat way too much.

 

[Brons2]

Many times, Longhorn (which is still reasonable)

I have noticed that the price of steaks at Longhorn has gone up. I like the Outlaw Sirloin, or is it Ribeye, I forget, it's gone from $23 to 25 to 27 now at my location it's $30.99. I think the last time we went, there's no actual steaks below $20 now, but you can still get the 7 peper sirloin salad for $17.99 on the dinner/weekend menu pricing. If you go at lunch the sirloin salad is cheaper, and of course anytime getting a salad makes the missus more happy about what I'm ordering...lol.

Which is probably a good time to mention that Longhorn is actually a great place to go for lunch, you get smaller portions, but that's probably a good idea for many of us who have put on a few pounds over the years. Which definitely includes myself.

 

[supton]

We stopped going out weekly, and ordering in once/wk or so, during the Great Financial Crisis--it was how we controlled costs back then. Never really got back into the habit when the good times rolled back around again--wasn't as much fun. Wife is a good cook and when the MIL visits, she takes us out, so we get out once a month or so.

Just isn't my thing. I get it, it can be a great time to socialize, and for those cases, it might be worth it. I'm rather not social so it's just a waste of money to me.

But I can understand the run up in costs, labor isn't cheap, "no one wants to work anymore", etc.

 

[wavinwayne]

I'd like to see the same restaurants price increases on a chart from 2015-2020 to compare to the last 5 years.

 

[PandaBear]

A lot more restaurants I have seen locally closing down and new "fast casual" one show up. Most likely the typical tip percentage has gone up to a point where people would rather not have a waiter, or more tables per waiters with QR ordering.

Also more table for the same sqft of space than before.

 

[Brons2]

One other thing I would note that hasn't been discussed on this thread is that a lot of non-national chain type places have gone out of business. It seems like more and more I'm stuck with the national chains. And Central Texas is a place that used to pride itself on local places 30 years ago. sigh....

 

[FowVay]

It's really getting bad out there. I went to my local Mexican restaurant for lunch the other day and I ordered the Speedy Gonzales. They brought me a tiny mouse on a bed of rice.

 

[97prizm]

Wife and I eat out every weekend. Many times, Longhorn (which is still reasonable) Bonefish Grill getting pricey and recently changed their menu that I am not happy about at all. Took away my favorite healthy meal. Mahi-Mahi and Shrimp as well as many of their "straight" selections. They seem to be moving towards what a lot of restaurants do, less healthy fast food type selections in order to survive I guess. After all this is the junk that a lot of Americans eat. I hate it.

Most other places are more local and we have a lot in the area and the food really good but yeah, getting pricey too. Once in a while we talk about cutting back one weekend a month. It's not like we spend a lot (compared to some in here) but it still comes in at $300 to $350 a month. Not that it is the only thing that bothers us but the stuff isnt anything special anymore. I dont know, we are getting close to spending around $70+ for a meal and it's not something special, meaning dining experience, food, service etc.

For just over $100 we can go to one of two really good (buffet style) unlimited crab legs and good quality other selections which we do at times, but not too often between price and the fact that we over eat way too much.

Yeah I'd like to see more healthy items on menus. I don't need 700mg of sodium in anything. I can make a great tasting burger from 93% lean ground beef. Yeah it's easier to dry out but not difficult to cook. Alot of places used to have a low calorie and lower fat menu but even those seem iffy now.

 

[Brons2]

I can make a great tasting burger from 93% lean ground beef. Yeah it's easier to dry out but not difficult to cook.

As long as one propery cooks ground meat, i.e., no more than medium, it should never dry out, and we use 96% ground beef.

 

[y_p_w]

I agree, restaurant prices have gone up a lot and we eat out less because of it. When we do eat out, I often look for the cheaper items on the menu, to reduce the cost. And get water instead of a soda or beer as beverage prices have gone up as well, sodas are often more than $3 now.

It helps that I'm really not that picky with food, I'll eat pretty much anything if I'm hungry enough.

Some of these chains have specials and have for a while. Applebee’s used to have 2 for $20 with maybe 2 for $25 with different choices. So did Chili’s. Their 3 for $10 was a solid deal when it lasted, but their variable pricing now is still a pretty good deal.

Sometimes I see people with really high bills wondering why they didn’t have at least one person at the table ordering a special. It’s cheaper than fast food these days.

But years ago the “secret menu” at Chili’s was that lunch sized portions could be ordered at any time. I’ve never ordered a full portion of their baby back ribs, but the half portion was less than half the price of a full portion and came with a full sized side of fries and apples. I mentioned something to a server once getting takeout once and was told they could do it. But occasionally I’d find a location where I was told they couldn’t do it.

 

[alarmguy]

Yeah I'd like to see more healthy items on menus. I don't need 700mg of sodium in anything. I can make a great tasting burger from 93% lean ground beef. Yeah it's easier to dry out but not difficult to cook. Alot of places used to have a low calorie and lower fat menu but even those seem iffy now.

I’m glad I’m not the only one.
Recently for the first time in my life, I have found organic grass fed beef 93% in Food Lion on sale all the time for the price of regular chop meat

Both my wife and I are sensitive to high soul foods now because we just do not eat junk food anymore and you know as soon as you eat something high in salt

 

[kschachn]

Inflation rates aren’t uniform over all sectors. The article doesn’t state that the average rate is for food, labor and other relevant expenses.

 

[AutoMechanic]

I’ve never been a fan of eating in restaurants anyway and the rising costs just drive me away more and more. I’ll do takeout like Chinese or something but that’s about my extent of eating out. And anytime in a restaurant I order water and just get a $1 fountain soda at the gas station afterwards.

 

[Astro14]

I rarely eat at chain restaurants - we eat local (lots of great seafood places in Virginia Beach as well as some really great restaurants in general) but our experience does echo this chart at the local places - up 40% was my estimate. I used to get a certain meal, coffee, and water, then tip generously, at my favorite breakfast place and have a bit left over from a $20. Now, I’m looking at nearly $30 for the same thing.

 

[Nmr1981]

I agree that prices have crept up. We don’t eat at chains either except when we are traveling with the kiddos, the quality is often inferior and the service leaves a lot to be desired. We have several good options around us for all types of food within 20-30 min drive. We eat at Cracker Barrel once a year when we arrive in Myrtle Beach each summer on vacation. And every time we know that the service will be slow the food will at least appease the kids after 6 hours in the car and vacation has officially started. One way to save for some of the restaurants on the list is to check out if they have a loyalty program.

 

[Patman]

I have noticed that the price of steaks at Longhorn has gone up. I like the Outlaw Sirloin, or is it Ribeye, I forget, it's gone from $23 to 25 to 27 now at my location it's $30.99. I think the last time we went, there's no actual steaks below $20 now, but you can still get the 7 peper sirloin salad for $17.99 on the dinner/weekend menu pricing. If you go at lunch the sirloin salad is cheaper, and of course anytime getting a salad makes the missus more happy about what I'm ordering...lol.

Which is probably a good time to mention that Longhorn is actually a great place to go for lunch, you get smaller portions, but that's probably a good idea for many of us who have put on a few pounds over the years. Which definitely includes myself.

Longhorn is my favorite steakhouse in the US, at least as far as chain restaurants go. I have eaten there many times in Florida and on my cross border shopping trips to western NY state. I remember being able to get the Renegade sirloin for lunch for around $15, and that included their yummy garden salad with honey mustard sauce

 

[PF52]

The various locally-owned non-chain places near me have definitely not kept up with that kind of pace; the burger place and the pizza place in particular (both been here since about 1970) are still quite reasonable. There are various Mexican and Chinese places that are reasonable also.

The most expensive places are the one-off trendy gourmet places in our increasingly-gentrified downtown. Gotta cash in the 401K before bringing a large family there!