Yes and no. Labor costs are being ignored, but they're not all that significant. If you add in even a relatively high minimum wage, the cost blurs out with any volume. Whether you cost them $7 for an hour or $14 is just the difference of a single wasted meal at current prices.

Profit and Loss sheets are messy. They're paying back of house, front of house, a manager, power, maintenance and rent, but then they're making dozens of meals an hour. They're paying 1/10 of the cost for raw ingredients.

Herein lies the rub:

In 2018, a fast food meal at a number of places for 4 ran about $30-$40; currently, it's closer to $60.

Tacobell still sells a meal for less than $7 with a drink and enough food to satiate an obese II adult. It's gone up maybe $1.50 since 2018.

Selection and quality have gone down. Most places have been understaffed since covid, they're paying less in wages, value menus are disappearing.

It would seem that a bunch of places took opportunities to raise their prices until the lines dissapeared. I remember a time, not long ago, if you went to a drive-through around dinner, you were going to be there for a while. McDonalds put in second lanes in most stores to handle the load.

I don't think I've been in a fast food line with more than 2 cars in a few years.

Or less fancy commercial flour 25lbs for less than $10 from Costco.

Case in point. If you're buying a 2 pound flour bag you're scamming yourself lol