McDonald's the corporation doesn't sell fries, they rent out real estate and franchise licenses.
What you really need to look at is the cost of labor for a random McDonald's franchisee.
> While menu prices did increase, costs rose by an average of just 1.5% –equivalent to about 6 cents on a $4 hamburger, down from the 15-cent increase reported in the September study.
Study: California's $20 fast-food minimum wage improves pay at small cost to consumers - https://www.hackerneue.com/item?id=43806608 - May 2025
https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2025/02/27/uc-berk...
https://irle.berkeley.edu/publications/brief/effects-of-the-...
What was their revenue and what was profit as a percentage of that?
If the profit percentage hasn’t increased, “record profits” is meaningless drivel that just means it kept up with inflation.
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.