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Epic Economist, 2/20/26
"Fast Food Chains Got Too Greedy, Too Expensive…
Now They're Closing For Good"
"Popular fast food chains are shutting down hundreds of locations across the United States in 2026, and it's becoming harder and harder to ignore. Names like Hooters, Denny's, Wendy's, Jack in the Box, Pizza Hut, and Popeyes are closing doors that have been open for decades. These aren't small local spots. These are some of the most recognizable brands in the American restaurant industry, and they're disappearing from communities all over the country. In this video, we take a look at what's really going on behind all these closures. We hear from everyday people sharing their experiences with rising prices, shrinking portions, and declining food quality. We also hear from folks who work inside the restaurant industry and have their own perspective on why things are falling apart.
From the cost of ingredients skyrocketing to the broken tipping system to a loss of real hospitality, there are a lot of layers to this story. One of the biggest themes that keeps coming up is value. People feel like they're paying more than ever and getting less in return. A regular fast food meal now costs what a sit down dinner used to cost just a few years ago. And for a lot of families, eating out has gone from being a normal part of the week to something they have to seriously budget for or skip altogether. That shift is hitting restaurants hard, especially the ones that were already operating on thin margins. At the same time, companies like Chipotle are openly saying they're raising prices and targeting customers who make over $100,000 a year. That sends a pretty clear message to the average person.
Fast food was supposed to be affordable and accessible, and now even that part of the industry is moving away from the everyday consumer. On the industry side, labor costs and food costs have both risen by over 30% since 2019. Restaurants are caught between absorbing those increases and passing them on to customers who are already stretched thin. And with beef prices expected to climb even further in 2026, the pressure is only going to get worse. What makes all of this even more concerning is that mass restaurant closures have historically been an early signal of broader economic downturns. We saw it before the 2009 recession, and many people are drawing those same comparisons now. Whether or not history repeats itself exactly, the pattern is hard to ignore."
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