Chick-fil-A has raised its prices by an astounding 21% over the past two years, even as Americans remain at the mercy of high inflation.
The chicken giant has raised prices by 15% for the first time in 2022, Newsweek reported. food truck empireA blog about starting a business specializing in food.
Then, in January 2023, the chain, which boasts more than 3,000 locations across the U.S., implemented another 6% price increase across its menu.
The price increases mean Chick-fil-A's signature chicken sandwich and eight-piece chicken nuggets will cost an average of $5.79 and $5.95, respectively, to hungry patrons.
For reference, the average price for both popular menu items in 2021 was less than $5, according to Food Truck Empire.
Prices vary, however, and in New York City, where the cost of living is 30% higher than the national average, a Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich costs $6.99, according to apartment placement service RentCafe.
The Big Apple-based chain also charges $7.09 for an eight-piece nugget order.
The hikes come as the Federal Reserve struggles to keep inflation at its 2% target, which the U.S. economy has not reached since 2012. do not have.
The latest consumer price index, which tracks changes in the cost of everyday goods and services, stood at 3.1% in November.
However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the food index rose 0.2% on a monthly basis in November, slowing growth from 0.3% the previous month.
More specifically, the index for Chick-fil-A's signature chicken dropped, according to federal officials.
It wasn't immediately clear whether Chick-fil-A's rising costs were caused by inflation.
Chick-fil-A representatives did not immediately respond to The Post's request for comment.
Meanwhile, on Monday, as the ball dropped to usher in the new year, New York's minimum wage hike went into effect.
The minimum wage in New York City, Long Island and Westchester County increased by $1, from $15 to $16.
The state's minimum wage will increase to $17 in New York City and its suburbs and $16 in the rest of the state by 2026, under an agreement between Gov. Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders announced last April. It is expected that the increase will continue each year until reaching .
Twenty-two states, including California and Connecticut, have also recently raised hourly wages for minimum wage workers.
The Golden State increased its rate by 50 cents to $16, and the Nutmeg State implemented a 69-cent prepayment to $15.69.
Currently, the minimum wage in about 30 states is higher than the U.S. federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour since 2009.
Minimum wage hikes have been blamed for the soaring price of McDonald's Big Macs, with the price set to rise to $15 in states that have implemented profit increases.
Brandon Arnold, executive vice president of the fiscally conservative think tank National Taxpayers Alliance, called California's decision to require fast-food workers to be paid at least $20 an hour as a worrying sign.
Arnold told Fox News on Monday that companies “need to either raise prices or start cutting labor costs, or a combination of both.”
“And it's not fair to the employees who are being laid off, and it's not fair to the customers who are suddenly paying $12, $15 for a Big Mac.”
Last July, a McDonald's store in Connecticut was criticized for charging $18 for a Big Mac combo.
