Sink your teeth into this sizzling story straight from the Golden State: California’s latest wage hike is leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of fast-food lovers across the land. As the clock struck Monday, a new mandate kicked in, raising the minimum wage for fast-food workers to a staggering $20 an hour.
Hold onto your wallets, folks, because those value meals are getting a not-so-value-added price tag. The Post delved deep into the heart of Los Angeles, uncovering a smorgasbord of price surges peppering menus like never before.
Picture this: at Burger King, your trusty Texas Double Whopper meal once set you back a modest $15.09, but faster than you can say “hold the pickles,” it’s soared to a wallet-wincing $16.89. That’s nearly a two-dollar bump in just two days! And it’s not just the Whoppers feeling the pinch; even the Big Fish meal is reeling in sticker shock, catapulting from $7.49 to a jaw-dropping $11.49. That’s a leap of $4, folks – over 50% higher than before.
But it’s not just the King feeling the squeeze. Hart House, the brainchild of none other than actor Kevin Hart, is doling out price hikes of up to 25%. Suddenly, that large order of fries isn’t so large when it’s costing you $5.99, a dollar fifty more than last week.
Even the golden arches of In-N-Out Burger aren’t immune. Burgers are beefing up by a quarter, and sodas are fizzing with an extra nickel. While some may brush off these increases as pocket change, others are feeling the pinch as their lunch bills swell.
Shawn Fields, amidst his bite into a juicy In-N-Out burger, shrugged off the bump, calling it “nominal” and “reasonable.” But not everyone’s lovin’ it. Ivan Moreno, glancing skeptically at his receipt, sees trouble brewing as prices across the board start to climb.
And it’s not just the customers feeling the heat; restaurant owners are sweating bullets too. Scott Rodrick, a McDonald’s franchisee with 18 locations up north, is feeling the pinch. Facing a 25% wage hike overnight, he’s left with no choice but to dial up menu prices by 5% to 7%.
This isn’t just about the dollars and cents; it’s about the livelihoods of half a million fast-food workers across the state. Last year, Democrats in Sacramento passed this wage-raising legislation, slapping a hefty bill on businesses large and small.
But let’s not forget, amidst the flurry of price tags and politics, some names remain unchanged. Chick-fil-A, Wendy’s, and McDonald’s are holding steady for now, but how long until they’re forced to play catch-up?
In the land where dreams are made, California’s fast-food saga is a cautionary tale of unintended consequences. As prices climb and wallets shrink, it’s a reminder that even the simplest pleasures – like a burger and fries – come with a price tag that’s increasingly hard to swallow.
