On a lighter note: Why do people still buy fast food?

They think it's more expensive.

Y'all, Olive Garden and Friday's are as expensive as Chipotle and Popeyes. Stop exclusively celebrating birthdays there and just order takeout whenever.

Do they have options?

I gave up Taco Bell after college as “not actual food”, and for decades only went to McDonald’s in a road trip or Wendy’s for a frosty. There was a cheap local-ish burger joint that sometimes took their place but it was a bit out of the way ….. then we got Chipotle and Panera!!! Fast food that’s actual food and not quite as bad for you. And now it’s the same price or cheaper.

My burrito cost less than your Big Mac meal while being more filling. It has less sodium, less saturated fat, actual fiber and vegetables, and tastes so much better.

We do have at least one authentic burrito place that’s even better and cheaper but you can’t order online. Chipotle group orders are the god of food apps

Most cafes aren't open at 3am when I get off a dreadful shift and just want to wolf something down before collapsing into bed for 10 hours.

Where are you going to a cafe or restaurant that didn't also double their prices? Fast food is still eaten cause the restaurants also jacked up the prices. I'm Canadian and I took my wife and two little kids for breakfast. Our bill came out to over $100. For two full breakfasts and a couple of orders of pancakes You're also assuming everyone lives where you do and cafes and local eateries are abundant. Most places don't have anything but fast food and pizza available.

Until recently fast food was faster and cheaper than sit down joints and it's easier to eat while you drive. Since it's only been recent that is gotten slower and more expensive people still reach for it when they want quick calories. Unless fast food becomes faster and cheaper again it will probably decline from gas station food which is faster and getting better in most parts of the US and ordering ahead from local joints.

It's addictive, it's marketed well, people are uninformed about how awful it is for them, and think prepping healthy meals is a lot harder than it is.

Because it's fast and good enough. Not looking for a restaurant experience. I just want to eat and I forgot to defrost my chicken.

Same as they always have. It's fast. You can grab taco bell in a flash compared to even the best run diner or cafe. And you don't have to sit around with a bunch of strangers that are essentially walking disease vectors to do it, unless you want to.

The draw of fast food joints has never been primarily about the food quality, or service. Yeah, you'll likely pick the place that has what you consider better food, and avoid shit service, but that's a different thing.

Even joints that pretend to not be fast food (like chikfila) only pull a small portion of their consumers on the food primarily. They might draw some customers away from other fast food places, but not from sit-down places like you're talking about

I think you answered your own question. It's still "cheaper" than your second option.

It's not about the quality, it's about the speed.

That said, i generally plan ahead and rarely eat fast food. And rarely eat out in general. That shit is expensive

I mean, McDonald's is an insane ripoff. At Taco Bell I can get veggie cravings box for $5.99 - that's a Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme, Bean and Cheese Burrito, Fiesta Potatoes, and a drink. It's like 1500 calories for $6 and takes 5 minutes to get. We get it every couple of weeks when we're just feeling super lazy and don't feel like cooking, and we can make two meals out of it.

Because when its good, and I mean everything is correct... its fucking amazing.

Last time I got Kentucky it was all perfect. The bun was fresh, the lettuce was fresh, just the right amount of mayo, the chicken was hot and crunchy. The chips were hot, fresh and had just too much enough salt and the pepsi was just a shade away from being frozen. It was the best chicken burger I've had in recent memory.

Now, this was an isolated incident. Normally I wind up slightly disappointed in something. But when its right...

Usually a craving (This is the only reason I go to McDonald's once a year or so) or it's something I want to try that I don't have at home (like Jollibee or Shackshack).

Not sure who would buy it full price but in most of the apps if you're not picky there's always some amount of deals to get a meal under $5. I only go occasionally as the deals aren't as good as they used to be across the board and the quality is universally terrible. Taco Bell is also its own unique thing which no other Mexican restaurant will get you so occasionally it just sounds good.

That being said in my area you can go to nearly any proper restaurant and get carry-out under $15 with Texas sized portions. As someone with an unhealthy work/life balance particularly in the evenings, this or bulk curry is how I usually eat dinner.

I know it's poison but it's the only option that opens after 10pm

I buy fast food because I can get it quickly and because it tastes good to me. There's nothing quite like getting a fresh serving of battered fries covered in sauce when you're hungry and too tired to cook! 😋

Me 2001: Mcdonalds is running an anniversary special. Cheeseburgers are $0.10. Fuck yeah! I'mma order 20 them sumbitches!!!

Me today at age 41: I haven't had Mcdonalds since before the pandemic.

"Hi, I'll get a double quarter pounder with cheese meal, large, and I'll wait for new fries."

"That'll be $26.69"

"HAHAHAHA, right??? Could you imagine??? what's you're name? James? Could you imagine that James? Charging that much for some Mcdonalds? HAHAHAHAHA!!!! Ok James. That's a good one. Now what's the actual price?"

"$26.69"

"HAAAAAAAA, ok, ok, funs fun, but c'mon. I gotta pay for my food. What is it really?"

"$26.69"

"Wha---are you being serious?"

"Yes."

"ARE YOU HIGH???"

"Yes."

"Well.....uhhhhh......"

checks the board and does the math

"WHAT THE FUCK??? IS RAY CROC HIGH???"

"He's dead."

"WELL I DON'T THINK YOU CAN BE HIGH WHEN YOU'RE DEAD JAMES!!!"

"I know. That's why we gotta spend the time that we've got on this planet doing what we love, with the people that we love. We don't have a lot of time on this planet, and someday, maybe someday soon, something could happen. Then your best friend is just taken from you. With no warning. Maybe a lightning strike. Maybe hit by a drunk driver. You never know. So you gotta live your life doing what you can while you can to make sure that you have no regrets. Last thing you want is for someone to die before you can tell them you love them."

"Wow. That was beautiful. I'm sorry about your friend."

"Oh no. All my friends are still living. I tell them I love them all the time. And they love me too. Not in a romantkc way, but in a pure of heart real human connection kind of way. We love each other like brothers."

"That is a surprising level of introspection from someone of your age. You have a real sense of emotional maturity."

"Hey, thanks! That'll be $26.69"

"FUUUUUUUUUUU-----"

The general consensus seems that people pay for the convenience, not having to cook or clean and not having to wait very long for it. Which is kind of crazy because that seems like such a luxury to me lol. Like a lite version of having a personal chef.

I wonder what the price point is where people will stop paying for the convince and just do it themselves because it costs too much. I would've thought most people reached that point but apparently not.

I don't know, but I can tell you with certainty that I don't.

Similar to what others have said but with a slightly different take:

Fast foods have fortified themselves as the backup plan in everyday life.

Some people, including me at some point, have accepted that they are gonna have a meal or two a week when a busy day happens and no leftover is in the fridge.

Thankfully ive learned that as long as you don’t leave it to the last minute, you can probably do a decent take out.

I buy it for my kids because they are on the spectrum and McDonald's French fries are literally 1 of 7 foods one of them will eat. I would eat it, because I love it, but I have celiac and can't.

My remaining fast food vice is Chipotle.

We have a bit of a tradition going. When my teenager drives over from his mom’s house Friday after school, I send out a Chipotle group order so he can pick what he wants, and it’s ready for pickup as he approaches.

So fast, so convenient

I eat fast food only when I use coupons to pay $6 or less for a meal. (Was getting one from McDonalds for $3.50 but they removed the coupon I used smh).

There's a lot more to fast food than burgers. Pizza, curry, poutine, sushi

I personally have adopted a mantra of if I'm going to eat fast food it's going to be as frugal as possible so I have all of their shitty mobile apps. I check them when I want fast food, and I generally won't eat out unless I find a good deal.

I have rarely gone to get fast food in the last few years, a lot of the reason because of the cost. That, and quality has gone down a lot even with price increases.

The times I have gone, were because I was short on time. I miss the days I could overlook the poor quality due to the cost.

Because most of the non-fast food restaurants in my rural town are priced highly for the rich yuppies LARPing blue collar living.

That's the neat part: I don't.

Not anymore. I scaled back my fast food consumption quite a bit in previous years, but when the prices of everything skyrocketed to absurd levels during COVID I just quit going to fast food places and never looked back. I get Taco Bell or something like, maybe two or three times a year now and that's usually when I'm on a road trip or something. Otherwise they can get bent as far as I'm concerned.

If I want slop it's cheaper and honestly also easier to just buy a TV dinner from any of the selection of general goods stores within walking distance of my house and pop it in the microwave. And these days probably faster, too, because I don't have to deal with the McAttitude or inevitably discover that the fast food place is trying to run with half the staff it's supposed to have because its franchise owner is a greedy prick, nor have to worry about getting sucked into the thrice-weekly fistfight in the parking lot, nor getting caught in the crossfire because some fuckmuch is salty about not getting enough ketchup packets and decides to shoot up the joint.

It's because of the drive-thru. If I could get a locally-made channa masala on rice or a good salad at the drive-thru with a decent cup of coffee, that would be my daily lunch. And, yes, I know that's lazy, but the drive-thrus are packed so I know I'm not the only one. Unfortunately, only the fast food chains have drive-thrus where I live. There is a business opportunity.

There's a lot of reasons people still eat fast food. Others have pointed out though that fast food these days isn't all that cheap and in some cases isn't even all that fast/convenient when compared to other alternatives.

I can't speak to that as it's been decades since I've stepped inside a fast food restaurant save to use the bathroom while traveling, but I can guess that it also has to do with nostalgia. Some people grew up eating that shit and it provides them with a sense of comfort and familiarity. While I'm not going to hold my breath, it is my hope that the predominance of fast food will die alongside cable news when the younger generations come of age.

Currently waiting for my order at burger King. I was headed out the door to pick up some plywood in the nearest town, just as two of my kids returned from school. They asked if they could come too. We're currently about to head back, but wanted to pick up something for the one hour drive back.

I sometimes get the $5 bag from wendys. It fills me up. I used to use the taco bell app to get a cravings box for $6 or $7 dollars, but my credit cards would become compromised. It happened to 2 cards only when I used the taco bell app. I refuse to spend $10 on fast food. The quality is just so bad I can justify spending $5. My girlfriend wanted a sundae from McDonald's the other day and the person in front of me ordered 2 mcchickens for $5. When I was in high school I could buy 1 for $1. They were barely worth it then.

I don't, because I'd rather have nothing. But it's what my husband will get for himself and the kids if I'm fasting or can't or won't cook for whatever reason.

It's not anyone's favorite food, but they like hamburgers and I hate hamburgers so it's the way they get to eat those, and it's convenient for them, and, well, fast.

I'm with you, though. I will either cook what I want, or go out someplace local with actual good food made from food.

I know it sound crazy, but maybe some days use the time you spend on traveling to and from the fast food place and cook home instead multiple portions of food you enjoy for a fraction of cost.

I like fast food. A steakhouse hamburger from Burger King is just as good, if not better than most hamburgers I've gotten from restaurants. On top of this I don't need to wait 30 minutes to get it, I don't need to deal with waiters and I can just leave when I'm done rather than wait for someone to bring a a check.

Options.

And sometimes taste.

The obvious answer is that it's fast, tasty, and requires minimal effort for the consumer, especially if it's getting delivered. But it also tends to be very cheap compared to dining out. I don't know what you are ordering where a combo is so much but I normally get a bunch of food from Taco Bell to eat over the course of two days. I can get 2000 calories of food I like to eat for $12.

Wherever I am in the world, if I see a McDonald's I know I can get something quick, easy, and satisfying enough to get me by. That's true in America, Europe, South East Asia, New Zealand...

I think restarurant food mostly requires using utensils and you need a flat surface to place the food to eat. You can just hold a mcdonalds burger in your hand. Its easier to eat a burger in a car.

That being said, I personally hate fast food and can never eat those disgusting food. Cost just as much as a good local Chinese restaurant food. But the Chinese restaurant makes much better food.

If you're not using the McDonalds app to get cheaper and sometimes free food, you're doing it wrong.

My boyfriend absolutely loves the taste, I really don't know what they put in fast food to make to taste fast food but he craves it so much. Im thinking it might be msg

It’s in the name. It’s fast. You order at a drive-thru and you’re on your way in a couple of minutes. I agree though that prices are insane now and doesn’t justify the quality. I’d rather go to an asian restaurant for their lunch specials and get more for my buck.

Its not really about the taste - its about the speed and convenience. If you want good food, you make your own. If you just finished a shift in a back-breaking job, and hate cooking, then its a chance to relax and free up some time.

the craving for absolute slop rears its ugly head every once in a while. I blame the ennui

Habits, familiarity, convenience, complacency

pfft. sometimes its worth the 5$ to not have to slow down to cafe speed. and i like fast food, its designed to be overtly tasty

Because it's fast... Because I can take it home... Because it doesn't feel like I'm trashing something nice when I order it to be delivered...

Sometimes I need food fast

I live in southern CA and burritos are cheap ✌️ Once a week it’s nice to not have to cook.

If you can limit it to just the sandwich you can save some. But otherwise, it's just baked into our society for all the reasons already mentioned. Seems like the choice for a cheap meal is gone however.

I genuinely have no clue. I only ever have it once in a blue moon if I stop during a road trip and don't have another option. I wish I had money to open a fast food place with because holy shit, how can you even fail, given what is successful???

It's actually more expensive than other options, truly awful service, usually much slower than it was in the past (I've literally never gotten my food in a McDonalds in less than 30 minutes in the last 10 years because they prioritize drive through and online orders), it tastes like shit and makes me feel like shit after I eat it.

I'm not sure where this cafe you can get waited on is selling a hamburger, fries, and a coke, with tax and tip, coming out less than $20, but if it's edible, definitely, I'd eat there if I had the choice. The difference between the cheapest sit down restaurant and fast food is almost down to nothing, but fast food is still the cheapest thing you're going to find, and the fast food companies know this, which is why they're comfortable raising the prices. They're attitude is if you don't want to pay our prices, eat at home, but we know you're not going to do that.

where I'm waited on

That’s the problem. I’m hungry and on the way home from work. I don’t want to sit anywhere but in front of my TV.

I don't want to be waited on. I don't want to have to wonder when or if someone might refill my drink. I don't want to have to ask for extra napkins. I don't want to be put on the spot deciding what sides I want. I don't want to have to ask what salad dressings there are.

I want to interact with other people as little as possible. McDonald's might be basic, but give me a kiosk to order from every time.

What I do want is to know exactly what I'm getting. Fast food has continuity of product down to a science.

Stop ordering the fries and a drink. Shit's bad enough already. Dinner's $5 and I bring a drink with me.

Consumerism is killing us and corporations will not self-correct until you hit them on the nose with a curled up newspaper.

I got Subway yesterday.
It cost less than $8, took like 10 minutes, i drove 5 minutes to get there, and I didn't have to clean anything.

I don't really. It's a treat sometimes that's it.

Sometimes I want cheap, fast and delicious.

Not always, but sometimes.

I can go to a cafe where I’m waited on and served decent food for $20.

How much do you tip on you cafe meal on top of that $20?

Some people don't have $20, Richie Rich.