In a recent viral TikTok video, a Southern California McDonald’s customer expressed her shock and frustration over the price of a 40-piece Chicken McNugget meal deal.
The meal, which included two large fries but no drink, came to a staggering $25.39 before tax, or roughly $27 after sales tax.
The video, posted by user @shannon_montipaya on Mar. 27, has since garnered 2 million views and sparked a heated debate about the impact of California’s minimum wage increase on fast food prices.
The TikTok user’s disbelief was palpable as she exclaimed, “You couldn’t even throw in the Sprite? You couldn’t even throw in, like, a medium Sprite in there? Holy crap.”
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While the meal is intended to serve four people, it nonetheless highlights the significant rise in fast food prices over the years.
This TikTok went viral for calling out a McDonald's "deal" where 40 nuggets and two large fries cost $25.39. The creator calls it "McFlation"
Over the last ten years no fast food chain has raised prices as much as McDonald's, which has doubled and tripled the cost of some items. pic.twitter.com/3Ns5yVr2SW
— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) April 8, 2024
According to a study by FinanceBuzz, McDonald’s prices have skyrocketed by 100% since 2014, with the average price of a 10-piece McNugget meal increasing from $5.99 to $10.99 in just a decade.
The video’s comments section was flooded with nostalgic remarks about past McDonald’s prices, with one user reminiscing, “Remember when 40 pieces nuggets was $5 and a large drink was $1.” Another commenter shared their recent experience, writing, “I spent $48 there yesterday…my jaw on the floor.”
Many TikTok users were quick to attribute the high prices to California’s recent legislation, which raised the minimum wage for fast food workers from $16 to $20.
One person commented, “20 minimum wage…..welcome to your new normal,” while another simply stated, “Welcome to California.” Users from other states shared their local McDonald’s prices, with a Florida resident noting, “50 nuggets here is 15 [dollars],” and a Texan stating, “It’s $6.19 in Dallas for a 20 piece and 2 large fries.”
The wage increase, which went into effect on Apr. 1, has led to several fast food businesses in California, particularly pizza chains, laying off employees and closing locations in recent months.
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MOD Pizza, for example, closed at least five California locations before the minimum wage increase kicked in. A former MOD Pizza employee in Clovis suggested that the timing of the closures, just two weeks before the fast food wage increase, was not a coincidence.
Image source: Wikimedia
