If you want to hang out or use the restroom at Starbucks, you鈥檙e going to have to buy something.
Starbucks announced it was reversing a policy that invited everyone into its stores. A new code of conduct, which will be posted in all company-owned North American stores, also bans discrimination or harassment, consumption of outside alcohol, smoking, vaping, drug use and panhandling.
A Starbucks logo sign hangs in the window of one of the chain's cafes in Pittsburgh.
Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson said the new rules are designed to help prioritize paying customers. Anderson said most other retailers already have similar rules.
鈥淲e want everyone to feel welcome and comfortable in our stores,鈥 Anderson said. 鈥淏y setting clear expectations for behavior and use of our spaces, we can create a better environment for everyone.鈥
The code of conduct warns that violators will be asked to leave, and says the store may call law enforcement, if necessary. Starbucks said employees would receive training on enforcing the new policy.
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The new rules reverse an open-door policy put in place in 2018, after two Black men were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks where they had gone for a business meeting. The individual store had a policy of asking non-paying customers to leave, and the men hadn't bought anything. But the arrest, which was caught on video, was a major embarrassment for the company.
At the time, Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz said he didn鈥檛 want people to feel 鈥渓ess than鈥 if they were refused access.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to become a public bathroom, but we鈥檙e going to make the right decision a hundred percent of the time and give people the key," Schultz said.
Since then, though, employees and customers have struggled with unruly and even dangerous behavior in stores. In 2022, Starbucks closed 16 stores around the country 鈥 including six in Los Angeles and six in its hometown of Seattle 鈥 for repeated safety problems, including drug use and other disruptive behaviors that threatened staff.
The new rule comes as part of a push by Starbucks' new chairman and CEO, Brian Niccol, to reinvigorate the chain's sagging sales. Niccol has said that he wants Starbucks to recapture the community coffeehouse feeling it used to have, before long drive-thru lines, mobile order backups and other problems made visits more of a chore.
Fast food inflation: Which chains are hiking their prices the most?
Fast food inflation: Which chains are hiking their prices the most?
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Fast food inflation: Which chains are hiking their prices the most?
It's no secret that things just keep getting more expensive. From home prices to personal goods, the cost of living in the U.S. has increased 22% since 2019, leaving consumers searching for ways to combat rising costs.听
As Americans scramble to find听, one historically wallet-friendly option, fast food, is becoming less and less of a cost-saver. In fact, fast food price hikes have outpaced the national inflation rate in some instances, prompting backlash online and on social media.听
Have fast food prices really changed so dramatically? And if so, by how much?听, is always looking for听听and wanted to better understand how much a trip to the drive thru was really costing consumers. To find out, FinanceBuzz collected pricing data from a dozen popular fast food restaurants over the past decade and calculated how much prices have risen compared to the national inflation rate.听
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FinanceBuzz
How does fast food inflation compare to actual inflation?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of goods in the U.S. has risen 31% since 2014, meaning $100 in 2014 dollars is worth $131 in 2024 dollars. Much of this change has happened in the past 5 years 鈥 inflation is up 22% since 2019.听
So how do the average menu price increases at popular fast food chains compare to those rates?听
The restaurants FinanceBuzz evaluated raised prices by 60% on average between 2014 and 2024. That means they've raised prices at a rate nearly double the national rate of inflation.听
Five different restaurants 鈥 McDonald's, Popeyes, Taco Bell, Chipotle, and Jimmy John's 鈥 raised their prices at more than double the national inflation rate. McDonald's raised prices so much that their average menu prices increased more than three times the national rate of inflation.听
Beyond the golden arches, the data reveals more than a 75% price increase at Popeyes, Taco Bell, and Chipotle over the past 10 years. Subway and Starbucks, on the other hand, kept prices the most stable of any major chain, but still outpaced national inflation. Here are some notable examples.
FinanceBuzz
Gold-tier prices at the Golden Arches: McDonald's prices have risen the most
The worst offender for dramatic price increases is McDonald's 鈥 a chain that recently went viral for all the wrong reasons. An $18 Big Mac combo garnered so much attention online that the听听on a recent earnings call. According to our data, prices at McDonald's have doubled since 2014, with an average price increase of 100%.听
Overall, this rate is more than triple the national inflation rate during the same time. One illustrative example is the McChicken sandwich: once a staple of the chain's $1 menu in 2014, the sandwich now costs $3 at some locations, a 200% increase.听
Other former value menu items, like the McDouble and a simple order of medium fries were among the most egregious price increases across the McD's menu.听
What Rising Fast Food Prices Mean for Consumers
Though incremental changes in fast food prices may not seem like the highest dollar-value changes to consumers' wallets, they are an illustrative example of a new financial reality in the U.S. 鈥斕 your dollar doesn't go as far as it used to and American families need to figure out how to make it work.听
Another place many Americans have been feeling the squeeze is with auto insurance. As premiums have risen more than 20% in the past year, many are scrambling to find听听options. And like with fast food, the premium hikes tend to hurt lower income earners the most.听
Some are turning to credit cards to make up the gap. After a few years of declining balances, credit card debt has climbed back to an all-time high. Cards that have听听and听听look especially enticing to anyone who is trying to close a gap on their monthly budget or looking for听.听
For others, there's no way to stretch more on their current income so they're turning to ways to听听or find higher-paying jobs. With no easy solution and no relief in sight, inflation is likely to remain a top concern for Americans heading into this year's presidential election. In fact,a recent FinanceBuzz survey found that inflation is the听听right now.
Other notable fast-flation examples
Taco Bell
- Average price increase:听81%
- Notable price hikes:听A Doritos Locos Taco went from an average price of $1.39 in 2014 to $2.59 in 2024 (+86%), while a Cheesy Gordita Crunch has doubled in price from $2.49 in 2014 to $4.99 today. The Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, which went from an average cost of $1.59 in 2014 to a present-day price of $3.69. That's a 132% increase.听
Chipotle
- Average price increase:听75%
- Notable price hikes:听In 2014, hungry customers could get an entree, such as a burrito, bowl, or tacos, for less than $6.75 on average. Those same meals all cost $10.50 or more today. And while guac has always cost extra, it costs 64% more now than it did 10 years ago ($1.80 to $2.95 on average).听
Starbucks
- Average price increase:听31%
- Notable price hikes:听Interesting, some beloved Starbucks menu items have kept pace with inflation, such as their Chai Tea Latte (+30%) and their Mocha Frappuccino (+32%). Even better for Starbucks fans and their wallets, costs for certain items such as a Caff猫 Latte (+22%) and Caramel Macchiato (+17%) have actually risen slower than inflation, which makes them a better deal now than they were a decade ago.听听
Full results and methodology
For a full methodology and a chart featuring all the data collected, please visit the听.听
Easy ways to save on your next fast-food order听
- Earn cash back and rewards.听Learn about the听. These cards can help you earn cash back or discounts when going out for a meal.
- Download the mobile apps.听Many fast food restaurants, including McDonald's, offer discounts and deals just for using their mobile app.听
- Watch for upcoming deals.听McDonald's is reportedly considering offering a $5 meal deal to win back consumers who are unhappy with rising prices. Look for other fast food chains to follow suit.听听
听was produced by听听and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.
