No Stupid Questions

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

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! 😋

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.

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-----"

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.

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 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.