Shake Shack Takes the Crown for Most Overpriced
Who would’ve thought that a burger and shake joint could cause such a financial shock? An analysis found that Shake Shack has the most customer complaints about overly expensive fast food in America in 2024. Among the thousands of local and chain eateries considered in the study, Shake Shack received more complaints about overpriced food than any other restaurant chain. The online language tutoring marketplace Preply recently analyzed nearly 60,000 Google reviews for more than 10,000 restaurants in the top 50 cities in the United States. Their analysis looked for specific keywords like “overpriced,” “pricey,” “expensive,” and “rip-off” in customer reviews.
The company didn’t exactly make things better for their reputation when they decided to squeeze customers with multiple price hikes. The Preply study was released in the wake of not just one but two recent Shake Shack price hikes. The fast-casual burger chain rolled out a 3% price increase in mid-March “to address food and wage inflationary pressures,” CFO Katie Fogerty announced during a spring earnings call. Shake Shack then raised prices again in October by 1.5% to offset inflation but said it plans to roll off some of those price increases in the first quarter of 2025.
Five Guys Sparks Social Media Outrage
A controversial $24 receipt from a Five Guys restaurant has recently put social media users up in arms and is the latest sign that high inflation under the Biden administration remains a drag on everyday Americans. An X account named Wall Street Silver published a picture of the viral receipt, which he said he took from Reddit, on Friday. That single receipt basically broke the internet, racking up nearly twenty-five million views and sparking heated debates about what’s reasonable to pay for fast food. The receipt shows that a bacon cheeseburger was sold for $12.49, along with a regular soda priced at $2.89. A small portion of fries was also added on – for a whopping $5.19. The order total came to $21.91 with tax, and the buyer added a $2.19 tip – bringing the grand total to a pricey $24.10. That’s more than what some people spend on groceries for a couple days, all for one person’s meal!
According to MoneyGeek, a burger, fries and soda at McDonald’s costs around $6.19, up 11.5% from 2021 to 2022, while the same order at Five Guys charges costs $19.95 on average, up 13.5% during the same time period. A dataset by MoneyGeek revealed that the average price of a meal from this restaurant in 2024 was $20.84, with Jack in the Box, Wendy’s, Burger King, and McDonald’s staying under the $14 mark. The CEO’s reasoning for these sky-high prices? Jerry Murrell previously told Inc Magazine: “We do not base our price on anything but margins. We raise our prices to reflect whatever our food costs are. So, if the mayonnaise guy triples his price, we pay triple for the mayonnaise!”
Sugar Factory Delivers Sweet Disappointment
Sugar Factory rounds out the top three most overpriced chains, and honestly, the customer reviews paint a pretty grim picture. One reviewer noted: “I’m sure if you are into all the hype and want to say you’ve been where the rich and famous have been seen, but otherwise its nothing special and an expensive nothing special.” Another frustrated customer shared: “My son got one of those fancy drinks that was $50 and tasted like medicine. It so sad because we were really looking forward even drove 1 1/2 hours to this location .on social media pictures look awesome.” That’s the classic case of Instagram versus reality right there.
One particularly shocking review detailed: “My bill was $119 for two quesidillas, 2 small margaritas in a mason jar, and 1 milkeshake dessert that had a cookie, cupcake & donut, but found hair in cupcake icing so she didn’t eat it. I was shocked at $119 check considering we didn’t even get full meals!” Multiple reviewers consistently describe the chain as “overpriced for the quantity and quality of the food.” What really gets customers worked up is the automatic twenty percent gratuity that gets slapped onto every single bill, regardless of party size or service quality.
Reviews consistently describe Sugar Factory as “your typical overpriced, unimpressive tourist trap restaurant.” The chain seems to rely heavily on its Instagram-worthy aesthetic and celebrity endorsements rather than delivering actual value to customers who end up feeling burned by the experience and the bill.
