[richbell]

I completely agree: in my neck of the woods, a breakfast combo at McDonalds now costs more than the incredible mom & pop places nearby. The problem is convenience and access.

Fast food chains are ubiquitous and designed to be a quick and predictable choice for people. Mom & pop places don't tend to have large parking lots, or drive-thrus that people can line up around the block for. They also can't afford the margins that UberEats or Doordash take — and food delivery has exploded in the past few years.

Lastly, many people are creatures of habit and few are probably looking to shake things up right now. The unfortunate truth is that the best value or quality seldom wins these days.

[leetcrew]

mcdonalds in particular seems to have deliberate price discrimination. if you go in and buy one of the prominently featured combos, you could end up spending over $10. on the other hand, ordering from the dollar menu and using discounts through the app, you can get a lot of food for not much money. today I got two mcdoubles, large fries, and a soda for $3.50. I dunno where you would find a cheaper ~1200 calorie hot meal.