4 ms·

Do people really eat at these places because they find the food "special" or is it just the price?

jacknews 3y ago
I don't know about special, but it's not just the price, especially in emerging markets, where these places are often priced more toward the luxury or at least mid-range. There's possibly a niche opening up for actually-cheap convenience food, but I don't know how good a business that would be.
- mlinhares 3y ago
  This is specific to US stores.
  - jacknews 3y ago
    Sure, I'm just saying in other markets these places are already at mid-tier prices, and the US market looks like it's heading that way too.
    - dragonwriter 3y ago
      Other eating-out prices are also going up; its not just fast-food.
basil-rash 3y ago
It’s not exactly special, and it’s not exactly cheap, but it’s almost always fast and food, which oftentimes is all I’m looking for.
- mlinhares 3y ago
  It is insanely cheap, getting that much calories in less than 10 USD would be a dream in any developed or poor nation. Might not be the best calories but will keep you (under) fed for a long time.
  - renewiltord 3y ago
    Developed, yes, but developing countries are very different https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amma_Unavagam https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amma_Unavagam
  - gremlinsinc 3y ago
    It used to be cheap.. but feeding myself, my wife, and 2 boys under 7 cost $34 last time, that was for 1 meal for my wife, a double - sandwich only for me, and 2 happy meals, and jr frosties... Lately I've been simply eating jimmy dean breakfast sandwiches pretty much every meal, they're tasty, and 1 sandwich per meal fills me up, so I get like 4 days worth of meals for $10. (I had gastric sleeve surgery, so I fill up kinda easier than I used to). Not sure how healthy, but convenience -- it's 60 seconds in the microwave. I'm currently going through a separation so I'm definitely not having the energy to cook anything, plus I'm moving into a motel temporarily until I can get a lease, which only has fridge/microwave.
  - dumbo-octopus 3y ago
    Not really, I've gotten full plates of delicious chicken and rice in Colombian slums for ~2 USD.
  - dragonwriter 3y ago
    > It is insanely cheap, getting that much calories in less than 10 USD would be a dream in any developed or poor nation. Maybe in cost relative to local median income ($10 is about 1/11 of a one day share of US median personal income), but definitely not 10 actual USD or the equivalent in straight currency conversion. Proof: people actually live and do physically-demanding jobs with in much of the developing world, with wages which your statement would make impossible because every single person doing it would be dead of starvation within a few months.
dragonwriter 3y ago
They eat because the food hits a particular combination of cheap, being ready quickly on demand (hence "fast food") with minimal interaction, and acceptable quality. Its not optimized on any one of those axes.

I don't know about special, but it's not just the price, especially in emerging markets, where these places are often priced more toward the luxury or at least mid-range. There's possibly a niche opening up for actually-cheap convenience food, but I don't know how good a business that would be.

mlinhares 3y ago
This is specific to US stores.
- jacknews 3y ago
  Sure, I'm just saying in other markets these places are already at mid-tier prices, and the US market looks like it's heading that way too.
  - dragonwriter 3y ago
    Other eating-out prices are also going up; its not just fast-food.

basil-rash 3y ago

It’s not exactly special, and it’s not exactly cheap, but it’s almost always fast and food, which oftentimes is all I’m looking for.

mlinhares 3y ago
It is insanely cheap, getting that much calories in less than 10 USD would be a dream in any developed or poor nation. Might not be the best calories but will keep you (under) fed for a long time.
- renewiltord 3y ago
  Developed, yes, but developing countries are very different https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amma_Unavagam https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amma_Unavagam
- gremlinsinc 3y ago
  It used to be cheap.. but feeding myself, my wife, and 2 boys under 7 cost $34 last time, that was for 1 meal for my wife, a double - sandwich only for me, and 2 happy meals, and jr frosties... Lately I've been simply eating jimmy dean breakfast sandwiches pretty much every meal, they're tasty, and 1 sandwich per meal fills me up, so I get like 4 days worth of meals for $10. (I had gastric sleeve surgery, so I fill up kinda easier than I used to). Not sure how healthy, but convenience -- it's 60 seconds in the microwave. I'm currently going through a separation so I'm definitely not having the energy to cook anything, plus I'm moving into a motel temporarily until I can get a lease, which only has fridge/microwave.
- dumbo-octopus 3y ago
  Not really, I've gotten full plates of delicious chicken and rice in Colombian slums for ~2 USD.
- dragonwriter 3y ago
  > It is insanely cheap, getting that much calories in less than 10 USD would be a dream in any developed or poor nation. Maybe in cost relative to local median income ($10 is about 1/11 of a one day share of US median personal income), but definitely not 10 actual USD or the equivalent in straight currency conversion. Proof: people actually live and do physically-demanding jobs with in much of the developing world, with wages which your statement would make impossible because every single person doing it would be dead of starvation within a few months.

dragonwriter 3y ago

They eat because the food hits a particular combination of cheap, being ready quickly on demand (hence "fast food") with minimal interaction, and acceptable quality. Its not optimized on any one of those axes.