The Tool Desk
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What the 42% figure measures—and why FinanceBuzz also says 39%
FinanceBuzz’s 2025 comparison tracked selected menu items sold in both 2020 and 2025 at a group of chains that includes casual-dining and breakfast restaurants, not just fast-casual restaurants. Its published table lists a 42% overall average for the 2020–2025 comparison, while its key findings and explanatory text give a 39% average for the menu items reviewed. The article does not reconcile the two figures. The safest reading is to report the discrepancy, not choose one as a precise category-wide result. FinanceBuzz’s comparison is a sample of named chains and dishes, not an official fast-casual price index.
FinanceBuzz also lists national inflation at 22% for the period, based on its stated use of the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Inflation Calculator, collected in February 2025. That is a broad inflation comparison, not a restaurant-specific measure. The study’s methodology and figures should be read as a specific selected-item comparison rather than a like-for-like national census of restaurant menus.
Which chains had the largest increases in FinanceBuzz’s table?
The percentages below are FinanceBuzz’s chain averages for selected items compared between 2020 and 2025. The ranking is limited to its sample and should not be read as a ranking of every U.S. restaurant or of fast-casual chains alone.
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| Chain | Reported increase |
|---|---|
| IHOP | 82% |
| Texas Roadhouse | 46% |
| TGI Fridays | 45% |
| Applebee’s | 41% |
| Cheesecake Factory | 40% |
| Hooters | 40% |
| Chili’s | 39% |
| Denny’s | 36% |
| Cracker Barrel | 35% |
| Red Lobster | 34% |
| Olive Garden | 30% |
| Outback Steakhouse | 29% |
| Buffalo Wild Wings | 29% |
| BJ’s Brewhouse | 26% |
| LongHorn Steakhouse | 26% |
IHOP leads the published table, followed by Texas Roadhouse and TGI Fridays. These figures describe the study’s item sample; they do not establish that every menu item at those chains rose by the listed percentage. FinanceBuzz separately says Waffle House later shared broader internal data showing a 32.7% increase over five years, which would put it sixth-lowest in the comparison. That later company information illustrates how new data can alter a chain’s position.
How the comparison was assembled—and what it leaves out
FinanceBuzz compared roughly 10 items per chain that appeared in both 2020 and 2025. The selection included lower-priced, higher-priced, and signature dishes. For 2025 prices, it checked restaurant apps or websites for locations in the Tampa, Florida, area. For historical prices, it used FastFoodMenuPrices.com and archived pages from the Internet Archive. This design makes the comparison useful for a directional look at selected menu prices, but it does not make the results a nationwide average.
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- Location matters: The 2025 prices came from Tampa-area locations; prices can vary by market and restaurant.
- Items were selected, not exhaustively counted: The result depends on which dishes were available in both years and included in the sample.
- It is not limited to fast-casual: The chains span multiple restaurant types, including breakfast and casual dining.
- The comparison is not an official index: It does not represent every item, location, or chain in the segment.
- The reported average is inconsistent: The table says 42%, while FinanceBuzz’s prose says 39%.
The comparison also does not establish why individual chains’ sampled prices changed by different amounts. It is not evidence, by itself, that a particular cost—such as labor, ingredients, or rent—caused a given chain’s increase.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the five-year sample compares with more recent price indicators
Other sources provide useful context, but their figures cover different periods and populations. They should not be added to or directly ranked against FinanceBuzz’s chain percentages.
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| Source and measure | Reported figure | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| National Restaurant Association, through August 2026 | Menu prices up 3.4% year over year; limited-service prices up 3.2% | Broad recent industry trends, not an update to FinanceBuzz’s selected-item, five-year chain sample. National Restaurant Association economic indicators |
| Toast, April 2025 | Median burger price on its platform: $14.31, up 3.1% year over year; median burrito price: $13.32, up 3.3% | Toast-platform restaurants across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.; platform medians and percentiles, not a representative chain ranking or same-store sales measure. Toast’s Restaurant Menu Price Monitor |
| Technomic, Q4 2024 | Overall restaurant menu-price inflation: 1.41% for the quarter | A quarterly benchmark. Technomic also reports an average Big Mac price of $5.47 in Q4 2024, compared with $5.07 in Q3 2024. These are not a five-year fast-casual chain comparison. Technomic’s Q4 2024 report summary |
The distinction is the time frame and what is being counted: FinanceBuzz compares selected dishes at named chains over five years; the National Restaurant Association reports broad year-over-year price movement; Toast describes prices observed on its platform; and Technomic supplies a quarterly benchmark. Those measures answer related, but different, questions.
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