TikTok Is Over Taco Bell's Increasing Prices
While Taco Bell's quality can sometimes be questionable (if this sad burrito and rumors of them only using 88% ground beef are anything to go by), one of the fast food chain's most redeeming features has always been its affordability. Although the entire concept of fast food hinges around its low price, Taco Bell is arguably one of the only chains that have consistently stuck to the cheaper end of the market, even amid rising costs and looming economic crisis. When the dollar menu hiked up its prices and became the Cravings Value Menu a few years ago, customers could still create a filling meal for just a few bucks — considerably less than buying ingredients individually and cooking at home, or opting to go to a more authentic Mexican restaurant.
But now it seems Taco Bell has finally succumbed to pressure and is increasing its prices — with disgruntled taco lovers taking to TikTok to complain. In one video posted to the platform, captioned, "Whats joe biden's plan to lower #tacobell prices?" and with over 49,000 likes, user @thediaryofrihanna points out the change in cost over the past few years. "Is it just me or is Taco Bell kind of expensive now?" she asks. "I feel like you used to be able to go and order a ton of food, it was always under twenty bucks."
Have Taco Bell's prices increased?
Most commenters shared the sentiment. "We spent $40 on 4 people smh," one person complained. "My husband said this the other day! The two of us went and it was close to 30 dollars like what," another person said. Those working at Taco Bell also confirmed the change in cost. "Taco Bell worker here, I've worked there since June and our prices went up twice since I've worked there," one user revealed. Other commenters shared tips for how to get the most for your money at Taco Bell. "If you do the boxes it's cheaper," someone suggested. "There's an online only box that you can get and it's only $5."
@thediaryofrihanna
But is Taco Bell actually getting more expensive? According to Market Scale, in 2022 Taco Bell's prices did increase by 14.6% on the previous year — the third highest of all fast food chains behind Chick-Fil-A, and Wendy's, who came in first place with a 35% increase. Some TikTok users commented on this wider trend, also name-dropping McDonald's, having also recently sparked outrage on TikTok as a customer in Connecticut revealed the price of a Big Mac combo meal to be $16.89.
Daily Dot goes as far as to suggest that rising food costs are why food hacks have become more popular in recent years. So, we can probably expect to see more DIY menu creations such as this Mexican Pizza crossover, as people get creative with the menu to save on shelling out cash.