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.

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.

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.

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 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! 😋

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 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).

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.

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.