The past decade has seen some of the most astounding price hikes and profit taking in the rich history of the major U.S. fast food companies. The numbers don’t lie.
Between 2014 and 2023, the price of all goods and services purchased by Americans rose 28.7%, according to federal data analyzed by the Roosevelt Institute, a New York-based think tank. But in the fast food sector, prices rose 46.8% during that same span. Profit markups in fast food also increased at a greater rate than at any time since the 1970s.
