Perhaps the most egregious part of this is that the graph shows dollar expenditures, not meals bought.
- A store in 2014 sells 1000 hamburgers at $5 each = $5000 in expenditures
- Same store in 2024 sells 800 hamburgers at $10 each = $8000 in expenditures
It's common for companies to raise prices to increase revenue, even if raising prices results in fewer people buying your product. This shit is taught in high school economics. Absolutely nothing here shows anything about how many people can afford fast food.