Customers have major beef over soaring burger prices

FOR IT. STICKER SHOCKED CONSUMERS SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. IT IS A POPULAR SPOT FOR BURGER, FRIES AND MORE. BUT THIS MORNING, RISING PRICES AT FIVE GUYS MAKING SOME CUSTOMERS LOSE THEIR APPETITES. >> SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHY THE FOOD HERE IS SO CRAZY. >> Reporter: ONE TWEET GOING VIRAL, CALLING THE COST OF A MEAL OUT OF CONTROL, ALONG WITH THIS RECEIPT APPARENTLY SHOWING A $22 PRICE TAG FOR A BACON CHEESEBURGER, REGULAR SODA AND FRY. PEOPLE GRILLING THE FOOD CHAIN ON SOCIAL MEDIA. >> THIS IS A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT. WHY IS A BURGER $12.50? >> Reporter: LIMITED SERVICE MEALS LIKE FAST FOOD ARE UP 5.8% OVER THE PAST YEAR, WHILE FULL SERVICE MEALS AT SITDOWN RESTAURANTS INCREASED 4.3%. >> EATING AWAY FROM HOME IS 30% MORE EXPENSIVE THAN IT WAS IN 2019. NOW ALL THESE RESTAURANTS REALLY CAN'T RAISE THE PRICES ANYMORE. I THINK CUSTOMERS ARE AT A BREAKING POINT. >> Reporter: INCREASINGLY HIGH FAST FOOD PRICES LEAVING A BITTER PRICE FOR CONSUMERS. >> ALMOST $9 FOR A BIG MAC. >> Reporter: WITH REPORTS OF AN $18 BIG MAC MEAL AT A REST STOP. AND WENDY'S ANNOUNCING ITS PLANS TO CHARGE DIFFERENT PRICES FOR THE SAME ITEMS BASED ON DMOND THROUGHOUT THE DAY. NEARLY ALL RESTAURANT OWNERS SAY THEY'RE FACING HIGHER OPERATING AND LABOR COSTS AND FOOD PRICES ARE UP, TOO. THIS MAN IS NAVIGATING THOSE CHALLENGES. AT HIS RESTAURANT, HE'S IMPLEMENTING INNOVATIVE WAYS IN AN EFFORT NOT TO PASS COSTS TO CUSTOMERS. "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" REPORTING MORE THAN HALF OF SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS SAID HIGHER LABOR COSTS ARE THEIR BIGGER SOURCE OF INFLATION. NBC NEWS REACHED OUT TO FIVE GUYS FOR COMMENT BUT DID NOT HEAR BACK. McDONALD'S TOLD US ALL PRICES VARY BY LOCATIONS. THESE ARE DIFFERENT MICRO ECONOMIES. BUT IT USED TO BE THE BURGER. IF YOU WENT TO A RESTAURANT, THAT WAS THE CHEAPER THING ON THE MENU. >> THESE BURGERS ARE FROM "THE TODAY SHOW" KITCHEN. FANTASTIC BURGERS. THANK YOU, KATIE. HOW ARE THEY MAKING SURE THAT WHEN YOU SIT DOWN YOU DON'T GET STICKER SHOCK, INITIAL SHOCK FROM THESE MENU PRICES? >> SO THE BIG CHAINS HAVE MORE WIGGLE ROOM AND LEEWAY. BUT THE SMALL INDEPENDENT RESTAURANTS HAVE TO GET REALLY CREATIVE. THEY'RE SHUFFLING THEIR MENU ITEMS AND TAKING THINGS OFF THE MENU THAT HAVE HIGH INPUT COSTS. WHEN YOU TALK TO THEM, IT IS NOT WHAT'S ON THE PLATE THAT COSTS THEM SO MUCH. THE BEEF WAS THE RECORD HIGH LAST YEAR. BUT IT IS THE LABOR. IT IS THE RENT. IT IS THE PACKAGING. SOME OF THESE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TOLD US THE PACKAGING HAS DOUBLED AND TRIPLED. SO THEIR COSTS ARE STILL HIGH IN THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS, SO THEY ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO BRING THAT COST DOWN. SOME BUSINESS OWNERS SAY HE'S TRYING TO DO THE PREP WORK HIMSELF. HE WAS DOING MORE WORK TO KEEP THE COSTS DOWN. >> TOMORROW YOU SHOULD DO A STUDY ON THE HIGH COST OF FRENCH FRIES. >> AND FRIED CHICKEN. >> LET'S ROUND OUT THE WEEK WITH MILK SHAKES. >> I LOVE IT. THANK YOU VERY

Channel: TODAY

Views: 638,373

Keywords: Al Roker, Entertainment, Food, Health, Hoda Kotb, Home, International News, Money, Natalie Morales, Savannah Gutherie, Sports, Style, Today, Today Show, breaking news, concerts, domestic news, interviews, media, parents, pets, politics, shopping, weather

Id: owtZAUvoyfo

Length: 3min 36sec (216 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 06 2024