Some Maize students feel like the rising costs in fast food is starting to limit how often they choose to go out to eat. 

The New York Times recently reported that the Personal Consumption Expenditures Index rose 6.4% in February, the fastest inflation rate since 1982. 

This is largely due to the pandemic which led to labor and supply-chain shortages. Many fast food restaurants have had difficulty hiring people, forcing them to increase their wages and prices. 

Some well-known fast-food restaurants that have increased their prices are Chick-Fil-A, Chipotle, McDonald’s. Starbucks, Taco Bell, Little Caesars, and Dunkin.

Maize High freshman Elise Lansdown works at Chick- Fil-A and has seen customers upset multiple times over the cost of food. She said it can be frustrating for her because she isn’t responsible for the prices.

“I think sometimes people forget how much money it takes to buy the food being sold and pay employees,” Lansdown said. “Expectations on pay have changed, the cost to buy the food has increased, and the costs to buy the random things like cleaning supplies or cups have increased. Food is not the only price being increased. It is almost everything, which affects the restaurants.”

Lansdown said she can also see the point of view that customers are coming from. She said the rising prices make her feel like she can’t go out to eat unless she has a gift card.

“From the perspective of a consumer, though, it does suck to pay more for food you could get much cheaper just a year or two ago,” Lansdown said.

Maize South junior Kiley Schneweis understands why fast food prices have been increasing, but she said she feels like the more expensive prices can limit how often her family goes out to eat. 

“Working with food, I feel like I notice it more,” Schneweis said. “Sometimes I compare my job to other places to see how much of a difference the prices are. Even just going to the grocery store you can notice a huge price difference in a lot of things.”

Dana Handy is the sponsor of Maize High BPA, the club that runs the school store, and has to purchase food items for resale in the store. 

Rising costs of paper goods is what has affected the store the most, forcing them to raise the price of some items. The most noticed price increase was the store’s slushies, which increased from $1 to $1.50.

“They complained a lot when we raised the price of slushies,” Handy said. “The price of the juice went up a little bit, but the price of cups doubled. That’s why we had to do that.”

Handy said she has also noticed prices increasing in restaurants, leading her and her husband to limit how often they go out to eat or what they eat when they do. 

“We might share an entree, rather than each get our own entree because of the increase in the price,” Handy said.