My personal experience as a frugal consumer is that fast food prices rose in a way that more enjoyable food became just as cheap, or cheaper. I can order Chinese food to go, and feed my family and have some leftovers, or I could get everyone a McDonald's meal and have no leftovers. In the past we did things like share an order of fries, so one person got the sandwich and a value soda. But even that is too expensive now. Pizza for 6 from local places is also cheaper than fast food.

I suspect the large increase in beef prices disproportionately affected fast food, but they were also hit by calls for higher fast food worker wages. Have you heard, the $5 meal deal at McDonalds includes a corporate-to-franchise subsidy to make the prices work? The deal seems to be popular, but it's bare bones pricing for sure.