Juicy basket money

Despite subsidies: Cost explosion for fast food

Large restaurant and retail chains are the biggest beneficiaries of the government's energy cost subsidy and yet fast food prices have exploded. This is currently a third more expensive than in 2021. In comparison, wages have only risen by 19 percent and inflation by "only" 21 percent.

From 2021 to April 2024, collectively agreed wages were adjusted by 19 percent. This is two percentage points below the general inflation rate of 21%. On average, employees on collectively agreed wages were therefore not compensated for inflation.

On the other hand, fast food prices exploded during the period under review: In April 2024, products were around a third (plus 32 percent) more expensive than in 2021, according to calculations by the trade union-affiliated Momentum Institute.

"In the same period, the increase in hospitality services, which includes fast food restaurants, was 29 percent. This means that inflation in fast food was actually three percentage points higher than in the restaurant industry as a whole," explains Leonard Jüngling, inflation expert at the Momentum Institute.

Leonard Jüngling, inflation expert at the Momentum Institute(Bild: Momentum)

70 percent of the top 50 gastronomy subsidies went to McDonalds
This is particularly interesting in view of the recently published analysis of energy cost subsidy I payments, as McDonalds franchisees in particular received at least 3.1 million euros of the approximately 6.9 million euros in aid paid out in the gastronomy sector, according to the Ministry of Finance's transparency portal. This means that 70 percent of the top 50 gastronomy subsidies went to the US company McDonalds.

"If companies raise their prices and receive aid money from the state at the same time, there is a risk that these companies will collect twice. This is a particular danger for companies with great market power, such as chains," concludes Jüngling.