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Fast food

How expensive fast food can explain rising economic equality

by Kai Ryssdal and Sarah Leeson
Jan 17, 2024
Fast food workers' wages are up as much as 30% since 2020. That has had real costs for businesses, but real benefits for society.
In the fast food sector, where many workers in the bottom 10% of the income distribution are employed, wages went up by 5.7% when adjusted for inflation between 2020 and 2022, says Eric Levitz of Vox.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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Franchises are big business, but they're adjusting to economic headwinds

by Matt Levin
Sep 22, 2023
Franchisees get help with marketing and branding, but the corporate parent can’t do much about high interest rates and labor costs.
McDonald's royalty fees will rise from 4% to 5% for some franchisees, according to a company email viewed by Marketplace.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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Fast food menu hacks are taking over TikTok

by Kristin Schwab
Apr 5, 2023
They create both chaos and money-making opportunities for businesses.
The rise of social media and digital ordering has spawned a slew of menu hacks and complex orders.
Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images
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How fast-food chains are buffeted and buoyed by inflation

by Matt Levin
Feb 2, 2023
Many have higher expenses and are raising prices, but more consumers now have a taste for their relatively inexpensive meals.
Sales at fast-food chain Subway surged last year. But it’s by no means boom times for the industry.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
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Panel will set wages and conditions for 500,000 California fast food workers

by Meghan McCarty Carino
Sep 5, 2022
The approach is rare in the U.S., but common in other industrialized countries.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the FAST Recovery Act on Labor Day.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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With workers scarce, some industries are turning to robots

by Savannah Peters
Jun 2, 2022
The pandemic accelerated automation purchases, according to an industry group, especially in agriculture, construction and fast food.
A fully automated fast food restaurant in San Francisco in 2015. Industries like fast food and construction increasingly rely on automation.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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You do want fries with that: Wendy's and Google bet on drive-thru AI

by Matt Levin
Oct 12, 2021
The deal could include voice-recognition software, mapping apps and other digital tools to improve the drive-thru experience.
Artificial intelligence may be coming to a Wendy's drive-thru near you, thanks to a new pairing with Google Cloud.
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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Some restaurant chains deal with supply shortages by trying to pivot

by Andy Uhler
Jun 29, 2021
If chicken wings are hard to find, maybe offer thighs?
The chain Wingstop just launched a brand focused on another part of the bird, calling itself "Thighstop."
Scott Olson/Getty Images
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COVID-19

Health risks, low pay affecting fast-food workers' appetite for jobs

by Janet Nguyen
Apr 29, 2021
Restaurant chains, including Taco Bell, Chipotle and McDonald’s, are going on hiring sprees. Will the labor force respond?
Fast-food restaurants, including Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and McDonald's, line the streets in South Los Angeles.
David McNew/Getty Images
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Fast-food loyalty programs have grown during the pandemic

by Kristin Schwab
Apr 28, 2021
Companies are competing with one another — and delivery apps — for your data.
Starbucks costumers who signed up for the loyalty program have bolstered the company's sales in the past year.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
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