Transcript
WHITNEY WILLIAMS: 80% OF AMERICANS ARE CONSIDERING FAST FOOD TO BE A LUXURY
KRYSTIN LILLY: YES WHITNEY, I WAS ABLE TO GET MY HANDS ON A FEW OLD MENUE PRICES DATED BACK FROM 2019. NOW I CAME ACROSS SOME INTERESTING FINDINGS AFTER GOING TO QUITE A FEW FAST-FOOD RESTAURANTS TODAY
KRYSTIN LILLY: WHAT DOES SYRACUSE CONSIDER FAST FOOD?
DANIELLE ALLEN: TACO BELL
MIQUAN QUILLEN: MCDONALDS, WENDY’S, BK HAVE IT YOUR WAY, UHH POPEYES
KRYSTIN LILLY: SO OF COURSE I HAD TO CHECK THE FACTS
KRYSTIN LILLY: I’m at McDonald’s to see for myself how prices have changed
MCDONALDS ATTENDANT: Hi, Welcome to McDonalds
KRYSTIN LILLY: Can I have a number 5, the 10-piece chicken nuggets. The meal
MCDONALDS ATTENDANT: Small medium or large?
KRYSTIN LILLY: Medium
KRYSTIN LILLY: $9.71. THATS ALMOST A 30% INCREASE FROM 2019
AND WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE PRICES CUSTOMERS AGREEDBENNY COOPER: Oh they’ve definitely gone up
KRYSTIN LILLY: BUT WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING ABOUT TACO BELL? OR EVEN POPEYES?
COLIN SMITH: Prices just keep going up
KRYSTIN LILLY: BUT FAST-FOOD RICES AREN’T KEEPING PEOPLE AWAY FROM FAST FOOD… THEY SEEM TO BE KEEPING PEOPLE AWAY FROM SOME PLACE ELSE WHEN ASKED HOW OFTEN CUSTOMERS GO TO LOCAL RESTAURANTS, ANSWERS WERE…HONEST
BENNY COOPER: Not very often
LARRY: Not really
KRYSTIN LILLY: LOCAL RESTAURANTS LIKE PHEOBES SAY THEY’RE IN A DIFFERENT CATEGORY WHEN IT COMES TO DINING
JESSICA TENIKE: I think that people looking for a nice sit-down meal tend to come to Phoebes
KRYSTIN LILLY: FROM GLANCING AT THE MENU, PRICES AT PHEOBES AREN’T MUCH DIFFERENT THAN MCDONALD’S
JESSICA TENIKE: Summer tends to be a bit slower but we’re running a lot of promotions this summer that tend to ramp up business
KRYSTIN LILLY: BUT ITS UP TO THE COMMUNITY TO KEEP THESE RESTAURANTS THRIVING
KRYSTIN LILLY: YEA IT’S CERTAINLY UP TO OUR SYRACUSE COMMUNITY TO CERTAINLY GET OUT THERE AND SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES. HERE IN SYRACUSE I’M KRYSTIN LILLY
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) —In a surprising trend, 80% of Americans now consider fast food to be a luxury, according to a recent poll at LendingTree. This shift is particularly evident in Syracuse, where rising prices at fast-food chains have not deterred customers but rather altered their dining habits, impacting local full-service restaurants.
According to the McDonald’s website, current prices compared to 2019 have seen a significant change. At McDonald’s, a medium 10-piece chicken nuggets meal now costs $9.71, nearly a 30% increase from 2019. Customers like Benny Cooper have noticed the uptick.
“Oh, they’ve definitely gone up,” Cooper said.
Several Syracuse residents declared McDonald’s, Popeyes and Taco Bell to be the top fast-food restaurants around town. Despite rising prices, Cooper says this isn’t discouraging him from patronage. When asked how often he frequents local restaurants Cooper was honest.
“Not very often,” Cooper said.
This trend poses a challenge for local establishments like Phoebe’s, which prides itself on offering a different dining experience.
“I think that people looking for a nice sit-down meal tend to come to Phoebe’s,” Jessica Tenike, manager of Phoebe’s said.
Interestingly, a glance at Phoebe’s menu reveals that their prices are not much different from those of fast-food chains.
“Summer tends to be a bit slower but we’re running a lot of promotions this summer that tend to ramp up business,” Tenike said.
Ultimately, the survival and success of local restaurants like Phoebe’s depend heavily on community support. It’s certainly up to the Syracuse community to get out there and support local businesses.