Fast Food Restaurants That Are Receiving Shrinkflation Complaints
If you haven't heard the word "shrinkflation," you surely have experienced it (unfortunately). When the U.S. inflation rate hit a 40-year high in 2022, many restaurants adopted a shrinkflation strategy in which they slightly shrink portion sizes but charge the same price (or even slightly more). Needless to say, this is not going over well with the hungry public.
Last summer, Yelp released a report on the economic state of the restaurant industry. In it, the company reported that customers had begun using the word "shrinkflation" in their reviews. Among the restaurant types receiving the most "shrinkflation" mentions included those serving hot dogs, burgers, and pizza, as well as Mexican, Chinese, and traditional American food. Since those same cuisines constitute the vast majority of America's fast-food industry, it's safe to say a large percentage of shrinkflation complaints are being directed at fast-food chains. If you need further proof, look toward the message boards. Over the last year, Reddit and social media platforms have been inundated with diners telling similar shrinkflation stories. Even worse, this trend doesn't seem to be subsiding even as inflation began to dip in the middle of 2023..
From fired chicken behemoths like Popeyes and Chick-fil-a to the iconic burger brands McDonald's and Burger King, here are the fast-food restaurants receiving shrinkflation complaints.
Domino's
In October 2022, Domino's increased the price of its Mix & Match delivery deal by $1, rising from $5.99 to $6.99. It also made its $7.99 weeklong carryout offer available exclusively to digital customers and reduced the number of wings in the meal from 10 to eight. "Our role within this inflationary environment is to be a strong relative value in QSR for our customers," CEO Russell Weiner said, according to Restaurant Dive.
Customers, however, claim Domino's isn't providing much value at all. In addition to the aforementioned items, diners have expressed frustration regarding the chain's trademark item: pizza. Two separate Reddit users recently posted photos of the pizzas they received from Domino's. In both instances, the pizzas were so small that they didn't even fill out the boxes they were delivered in. "This is a 'large' pizza from Dominos in 2023," one of them commented. (Though other Reddit posters suggested it was a medium by mistake). Another Redditor showed what they claimed was an $18 deluxe pepperoni pizza that was only barely larger than the size of their outstretched hand.
It's not just the pizza that's shrinking. The chicken wings have come under fire as well, with one customer showing their recent order contained wings that were smaller than a lighter. "Is there even any meat on that?" one person commented. "There's no way there is."
Popeyes
Popeyes is the third-largest fried chicken chain in the country. Apparently, the fast-food brand is employing the, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" strategy by hopping on the shrinkflation bandwagon.
One Reddit member posted a photo of a Popeyes chicken wing that was barely larger than a sauce packet, a sight that someone else described as, "chicken for ants." Another customer showed a chicken sandwich that consisted of far more bread than chicken. "You got bread with a crumb on it ... How was your crumb sammich?," one person commented. "And did that little crumb have any actual chicken meat in it or was it just all breading?" A TikTok user, meanwhile, shared a video of side dish servings that didn't reach the top of the containers, along with the question, "Did the sides shrink at popeyes?"
To make matters worse, it's not just the food that's shrinking at Popeyes — the condiment servings are getting smaller, too. One Redditor did a side-by-side comparison of old and current Popeyes sauce cups. The chicken chain's sauce packages used to be 1 ounce, but are now just 0.9 ounces. A few grams of weight might not sound like a major sticking point, but the difference is noticeable when looking at the two and, as the user points out, appears to be more than just 0.1 ounce.
Zaxby's
Zaxby's may be one of the smaller fast-food chains on this list (It's a fried chicken chain mainly serving the southeastern U.S., for the uninitiated). But just like its larger competitors, Zaxby's is getting in on the shrinkflation trend, at least according to its customers.
Last year, a patron took a photo of a Zaxby's chicken wing, proving it was the same size as a French fry. It appears diners are still getting short changed to this day. In a more recent Reddit post, a diner showed off the miniscule chicken strips he received from the fast-food restaurant. "The chicken strips at Zaxby's have gotten so small," they wrote. "Not even two full bites on one strip."
Commenters were unanimous in their agreement, with one claiming the shrinkflation problem has gotten so bad, they've stopped eating at the chain outright. "Everything there has shrunk. This started before shrinkflation and has probably continued from there," they said. "Their wings are laughable. Probably the smallest wings I've seen for the price. I stopped eating there a couple years ago. The fries and the bread are the only things that seem to be the same."
Arby's
"We Have The Meats ... more like where is the meat!" That's what one Arby's customer was left wondering after a recent trip to the sandwich chain. As detailed in a Reddit post, during a recent trip to Arby's, the diner complained about receiving a kid-sized drink in their combo meal purchase. They claimed that a restaurant employee told them, "Arby's corporate is downsizing all the side portions." On a separate thread, a current Arby's employee confirmed the practice, writing, "What used to be our medium sizes are now our large and medium is now what used to be our smalls."
The customer went on to compare Arby's shrinkflation situation to Subway getting rid of the $5 price tag for its footlong subs. "It's too bad," they wrote, "I liked Arby's but I see them going the way of Subway with the attitude from corporate."
It's not just the sides and soft drinks at Arby's that have come under fire. One customer ordered a chicken slider only to receive what appears to be a "chicken nugget in a roll." Another commenter joked, "Have A bite of chicken with your bread."
Taco Bell
Taco Bell has, to put it mildly, an avid fan base. While that type of adoration is what most companies dream of, it can be a double-edged sword (i.e., if you cross your fans, there will be an uprising.) Such has been the case lately, as countless customers have taken to the message boards to voice their displeasure with Taco Bell's shrinkflation practices.
From chicken melts to nacho fries, every corner of Taco Bell's menu has been the target of shrinkflation complaints. Even the drinks are shrinking. One Redditor posted a photo of two Taco Bell cups, one clearly smaller than the other. They claimed the drinks were purchased just one week apart and, to make matters worse, the smaller serving cost a dime extra.
While Taco Bell may view shrinkflation as a good business strategy, it could end up costing the chain customers who are looking for better value. "I can go to the taqueria near my house and get real Mexican food, and more of it, for the same price. Taco hell just isn't worth my time anymore," one person commented. Another agreed, stating, "There's a taqueria by me that has banging fresh homemade pork verde, tortillas and a fresh salsa bar for less then what Taco Bell sells a gross under filled soggy cold burrito."
McDonald's
Despite bringing in more than $23 billion in revenue in 2022, McDonald's is still trying to squeeze out every penny of profit it can. As a result, the world's largest fast-food chain has found itself the target of numerous shrinkflation complaints.
Multiple users on Reddit complained about McDonald's food items shrinking in size, including the Quarter Pounder and the chicken nuggets. One went as far as showing that the meat patty on their Big Mac was thinner than the pickle that came on top of the burger. Another posted a photo of a medium serving of French fries that looks suspiciously small.
It's not just American diners who feel they are getting at a raw deal from the Golden Arches. As reported by News.com.au, a customer uploaded a photo of his hand next to a Mighty McMuffin, showing that he could fit the whole sandwich between his thumb and forefinger. The post went viral as many social media users seemed shocked. "Shrinkflation. It's how places can keep prices low," one commented. "Is it a children's portion?" another added.
Burger King
In early 2022, Burger King franchisee Carrols Restaurant Group, which operates 14% of the fast-food giant's American locations, announced that customers would soon be finding fewer nuggets in their meal — dropping the count down from 10 nuggets to eight. The price, however, would remain the same.
But chicken nuggets aren't the only things Burger King customers are getting less of. According to several customers, the burgers are shrinking as well. One Reddit user posted a photo of a Whopper, Jr. that proves the beef patty was thinner than a french fry. Another showed that the burger they received was the same size as a ketchup packet.
Even dessert hasn't been spared from shrinkflation. One customer posted a photo on Reddit of a half-filled sundae with the caption, "I miss the times when this Burger King's Sundae was full." Another showcased two Oreo shakes side-by-side, one purchased in January 2022 and the other in January 2023. There was noticeably less milkshake in the latter. In fact, it wasn't even filled to the top of the top. To add insult to injury, the Redditor claimed to have paid more for the 2023 shake despite receiving less.
Five Guys
The shrinkflation accusations toward Five Guys center around both the chain's burgers and its famously overflowing servings of fries. In a Reddit post titled, "Have patty size reduced? Fries portion too?" a customer wrote, "Recently it seems the burger patties are a bit smaller and they're not overloading the large fries as much. Is this maybe just a location cutting cost or is it wide spread? Shrink-flation sucks." Others were quick to agree, with one claiming they, "had a burger from the atl airport where the patties were essentially sliders, literally 2 bites."
Another Redditor didn't have proof that Five Guys' burgers were getting smaller, but trusted their gut. "Several years back, I would be stuffed after eating a Five Guys burger," they wrote. "I can now finish two and still be hungry, despite being leaner and 10 lbs lighter. Are burgers getting smaller or is something else going on?"
As for the french fries, well, don't expect them to fill up the paper bag your order comes in anymore. Multiple customers have posted photos and videos of their tater orders in which the fries stop at, or don't even reach, the top of the cup they are served in.
Subway
The state of Subway's sub sandwiches has long been under scrutiny, which has only intensified recently due to a plethora of shrinkflation complaints. Last year, news outlets reported that Subway restaurants across the United States were putting less meat in their sandwiches and wraps. Customers have taken to the internet to back up this claim, with numerous posts and comments from dissatisfied Subway diners complaining about their meals.
Arguably the most egregious example of the diminishing state of Subway's sandwich came in March 2023. In a post titled, "What the hell happened to Subway subs?," a Reddit user posted a photo of their most recent Subway purchase, showing that they could easily wrap their thumb and middle finger around the width of the sandwich. In subsequent photos, the meal looks more like a pinwheel sandwich than a true submarine sandwich.
This doesn't seem to just be an American problem, however. Multiple Subway customers from Canada have taken to the message boards telling similar sandwich shrinkflation stories. "Now normally eating [a footlong] would be a two handed affair, but I was able to wrap my hand around it like I was eating a hotdog," one user wrote. "Was still hungry afterwards too, when before I'd be in pain after eating a full footlong."
Chick-fil-A
There are few sadder (and more frustrating) sights than opening your fast-food order only to find a half-filled french fry carton. One recent Chick-fil-A customer posted a photo of just that. "I ordered a large fry and this is how it came, is this standard? Because if it is i feel like the price is ridiculous for what I'm receiving," they wrote. Others commented on similar experiences at the chicken chain. "It has happened to me several times too ... not good," one said.
Aside from simply skimping on the quantity of fries, it seems there's another shrinkflation issue with Chick-fil-A fries: They actually shrink in size. According to a plethora of regular Chick-fil-A consumers, the chain's waffle fries wilt if not eaten right away. To prove this, one Redditor posted several time-stamped photos of his recent Chick-fil-A fry purchase. At the time they received the order, the fries filled the carton. Just nine minutes later, the taters had shrunk to the point that they fell below the container's brim. "If napkins are placed on top of the fries or the bag is closed, the fries shrink drastically," they wrote. "This was only after nine minutes; the effect is more pronounced as more time elapses."
Wendy's
Unless you are one of the very few people on Earth who prefers their chicken nuggets be roughly the size of a Goldfish cracker, you are not going to like what's happening at Wendy's. A customer posted a photo of such a chicken nugget, which showed that the morsel of meat was smaller than a sauce packet.
But the chicken nuggets (and chicken sandwiches and french fries and burgers and Baconaters) aren't the only menu items garnering shrinkflation complaints. In particular, customers have taken aim at the fast-food chain's drink and Frosty cups. Last year, Wendy's began swapping out its paper cups for recycled plastic ones in the name of sustainability. A step in the right direction, most would agree. But the switch may have come with a disingenuous silver lining. Teems of angry customers have taken to TikTok and Reddit to show how the new cups are smaller than the old ones, a practice one called, "a highway robbery." Several TikTok users posted videos of the new "small" drink size that looks more like a child's drink, or, as one of them put it, a sippy cup.