wherever The grocery stores, gas stations and fast-food restaurants we visit show signs of declining prices due to inflation and unfair pricing. Once-affordable family meals at fast-food restaurants often feel like a relic of the past. Here, a woman is left speechless after seeing the family-sized prices at an El Pollo Loco drive-thru, and the video has been viewed more than 36,000 times.
TikTok user Josie (@josieherrera65) was sitting in the drive-thru at El Pollo Loco and eyeing the menu when she couldn’t believe the price of a 12-piece family meal.
“I remember a 12-piece family meal being $12.99. Now it’s $43.99,” she says. Initially, content creators were okay with the price increasing over time, but $43.99 was too steep.
“$23.99, $28.99 and then $43.99?” she scoffed. “That’s crazy.” In addition to the family meal, add-ons like churros, chips, and a side salad are all just $4.99 each. Needless to say, Josie saved money by not purchasing the family meal. “I didn’t buy it. I went home and made dinner,” she shared in a text overlay. “I wasn’t going to get ripped off!”
The Daily Dot reached out to Josie through TikTok comments and direct messages, and to El Pollo Loco via press email. Viewers in the comments section were just as shocked as Josie.
“That’s why many companies [be] “This price is insane, they’re going out of business,” one viewer commented.
“And that’s not including drinks or tax!” a second added.
“I’m sick of it and really miss cheap fast food,” a third said.
Additionally, others have revealed cheaper alternatives.
“Go to Albertsons and you can get the original or habanero mango fries for $10 and on Mondays you get a free large side and Hawaiian roll,” one user suggested.
“The deli at the grocery store sells hot chicken and you can get 10 pieces for $10,” a second person suggested.
translation: #pororoco ♬ Original Sound – Josie 🌸
Why has El Pollo Loco become so expensive?
LA Mex Restaurant Increased Prices are being raised to keep labor costs down. California-based El Pollo Locos is drastically raising prices due to rising minimum wages in the chain’s home states. The company expects wage inflation to jump 12% to 14%. In addition, stores are Implement Kiosks to reduce labor costs.
Melody Heald
Melody Heald is a culture writer whose work can be found in Glitter Magazine, BUST Magazine, and more.
