Fast-food prices have become a common topic of discussion on the internet.
During the past inflation scare, food prices outpaced general inflation. This was especially felt in budget restaurants like fast food chains; Pricelisto, a website that tracks menu prices for American fast food chains, claims that fast-food menu prices jumped by 13% in 2022, per CNET.
Many users have documented their experiences observing these changes in real life. One TikTok user noted that the price of a McChicken has doubled; another claimed they spent almost as much feeding their family at Taco Bell as they did at an “upscale” restaurant.
Now, a further TikToker has sparked discussion after recounting a recent experience they had at the popular burger chain Five Guys.
@experienceaddict £18.50 for a small meal & It wasn’t even nice 😭😭😭 #fiveguys #fiveguysburgersandfries #fiveguystiktok #fiveguyssucks #fiveguysburger #fiveguysfries #fiveguysburgers #fiveguysuk ♬ 7 years – igusia
In a video with over 2.5 million views as of Sunday, travel and food vlogger Experience Addict (@experienceaddict) showed their recent purchase at a U.K. Five Guys location.
“Pov: you go to five guys and spend £18.50 on the smallest meal they have & u regret everything,” the TikToker writes in the text overlaying the video. For context, £18.50 is about $22.89 USD at the time of writing.
According to the TikToker, the meal was not worth the high price tag. In the caption, she writes that her order “wasn’t even nice.”
It should be noted that Five Guys is significantly more expensive in the United Kingdom than it is in the United States. One source lists the price of a standard Five Guys hamburger in the US at $6.99; in contrast, food blogger James Oliver claims that the Five Guys hamburgers in the U.K. cost around £11.75, or $14.54—more than double the price of their American counterpart.
In the comments section, other users lamented the chain’s high prices.
“Still regretting the £12 meal I got in London (a regular milkshake and a plain burger),” said a user.
“Five Guys is nice but too expensive for me to justify,” added another.
Still, some claimed that the food and experience justified the hefty price tag.
“Five guys is literally the best fast food place, expensive but so worth it,” wrote a commenter. “I’ll die on this hill.”
“£18 five guys, full the entire day. £15 McDonald’s, hungry again in 3 hours,” claimed a second.
“Worth the money for sure,” stated an additional TikToker. “You literally watch them make your burger fresh.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Five Guys and the TikToker via email.
