McDonald’s made $14 billion in profit last year. It’s not the labor driving the costs, it’s the profits.

https://www.hackerneue.com/item?id=44968997

Same with Chipotle.

https://www.hackerneue.com/item?id=45762671

Who pays the profits? Like tariffs, the consumer. You pay for these billions in annual profits.

I'm ok paying a little more for fries if it means the people making it and serving it to me are paid a living wage.

Regardless, the fries cost what the local market can bear, not what they "want" to charge for them.

Prices are not related to costs. That's just a lie to folks use to justify price increase to the market. Prices never decline when costs do unless the consumer is wise enough to know like in the case for gasoline.

That's probably OK when the poorest workers are making the difference ten times over per hour.

Why would you expect fries to cost the same in California as in much poorer states (most of them)?

Have you seen how fries are made at McDonald’s? There’s nearly zero labor involved. It’s nearly automated. You’re paying that price cause that’s what the market will bear and McDonald’s needs to see profits go up.

In-n-out fries are 2.45 (and a burger is 4$).