by Martin Armstrong
Armstrong Economics
Blue states that implemented minimum wage hikes are seeing a drastic rise in food prices. Fast food chains like McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, Chipotle Jack in the Box, Burger King, Domino’s, and more have reported menu item hikes in places like California that now require a much higher minimum wage.
This comes at a time when fast-food establishments are struggling to make ends meet. Last week, numerous establishments like Taco Bell, Starbucks, KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, and others noted a downtick in quarterly earnings. Fast food was once a cheap and quick alternative to the grocery store before inflation turned any outside dining experience into a luxury. Fast food chains that tend to attract upper-middle clientele like Chipotle have not seen as drastic of a reduction, but value clients earning >$45,000 annually, the core base that these establishments relied on, are not able to eat out.