This Is the Most Expensive Fast Food Chain in the U.S., According to a New Study
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While fast food has become synonymous with affordable prices (and dollar menus), not every chain lives up to the industry standard. In fact, there are quite a few quick eats that customers have labeled "overpriced" and "expensive" according to a new national study.
Online language learning marketplace Preply analyzed 57,245 reviews of over 10,000 restaurants across 50 major U.S. cities and found a few outliers, with two fast food joints in the mix.
Shake Shack was named the overall most "overpriced" restaurant, while Five Guys, trailing shortly behind in the number two slot, was also criticized for its "out of control" prices.
Shake Shack's spot in the ranking should hardly come as a surprise. Just earlier this year the chain raised menu prices by 3%, the New York Post reports. But they're not the only chain to have spiked prices this year. Although they didn't come up in this study, Chipotle also upped menu prices earlier this year, while other research claims McDonald's prices have soared over 100% over the last decade — the company, for its part, has denied these reports, per the Post.
It wasn't just fast food restaurants that topped the list of overpriced chains. Sugar Factory came in at number three. Ruth's Chris Steak House, Lupe Tortilla Mexican Restaurant, Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet and Peter Piper Pizza were also named.
Another category that came under fire is celebrity-owned eateries. "While diners may be willing to pay a premium for a trendy atmosphere and their favorite celebrity chef's name on the building, they can feel let down if the food served and service offered don't match the quality they anticipated," the report states.
This includes Gordon Ramsay's restaurants, which were slammed for their overpriced food. "The imbalance between Ramsay's star power and the actual dining experience often leaves visitors questioning whether they've paid for fame rather than flavor."
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