You hit a nerve with me on this one..I live right on the edge of bunch strip mall type business. Looking out my front window I look right at the drive up window of newest Starbucks in town..I know shouldn't even be allowed on T-man if live by Starbuck..Well when moved here was Hardee's They couldn't make it at that location. Or the Arby's was next door to that. tore that down build an O'Reilly's. Seen all my junk cars so build parts house I can walk too keep running.....
Anyway I have within a mile or less is long list fast food and what have you and even 4 Kwik Trips..
But the wife will say "Oh lets do Toco Bell tonight" Which I have come to dread.. Because I'm the sap has to go to that god offal pick that crap up..I don't know how they even stay open..With the covid thing it had all gone drive up.. Wife calls in the order and this moron has to go pick it up..Of course I leave with a Chit attitude right off, Come home even more POed. I got in the drive up line 9th car in line and there is no way to pull out once in there... My order was called in so should be just tell them that at order sign and drive to window.. Well being 9th car it takes way to long to get to order sign..then way to long to get to window.. Then sit there 5 minutes waiting for my called in order. (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman)??? But hey someone gotta dump some ground burger in a shell dump some cheese on.. Only spent 45 minutes of my life there in line I will never get back. Hate that place..
Got a Kentucky Fried Chicken even closer than TocoBell.. I love that chicken.. Don't have to wait to long in line there they move pretty quick..Guess you can move quicker when you leave things out of the order or put the wrong things in it.. I thought there couldn't be a Kentucky Fried chicken with worse service than the one by me. Then I decide to stop at one in city to the north.. Well bless my heart if that place didn't far out shine the one by me.. That one did surrender that they sucked. I see it closed couple months after I was there..Surprise surprise..No idea how the one by me stays open. The chicken is good but their service it just sucks..
My son inlaw is manager at a Culvers on north end of town. Then do pretty good job there getting people threw.. He said it is hard though to get good help is main reason them places have issues.. Last year right about the start of the covid when fast food went drive up only..Guess was perfect timing for the McDee's up the street.. That store has such high traffic. They closed tore building down quick rebuild bigger better. They have a two lane drive threw now timed perfect for covid..Is actually a cousin mine manages that store.. It is crazy the cars they run threw that place in a day..don't think ever go by there are not cars in that drive up..just crazy..
And I know how all rednecks hate StarBucks. But I think you all be surprised by number jacked up trucks and SUVs go threw the drive up there.. That goofy place opens a 6am and there will be cars waiting. I can smell the coffee when the winds right. I just drink my Folgers no desire go see what they got..They haven't been in a rush to bring me a cup either..
I don't know what any them fast food places pay..Years ago most was all run by high school kids and they rocked it..Not sure paying them $15 hour get them any better help?? Sure don't seem willing to earn a raise.

Mac

Might be location. Some "areas" don't exactly have the cream of the crop employees. Around here I can't get over how nice and polite the kids are (and actually get the order right). Enough so I normally give them a nice tip.

I'm not a fast food guy but over the years (OK decades) I've had my share of food poisoning. Never once even a hint of a bad stomach at Taco Bell. Well now I'll probably get E coli the next trip.

???

People need to learn (or the ole lady needs to learn) how to cook.

When those days finally arrive, you’ll choke on the crap fast food restaurants pawn of as “food”.

All fast food is already $14.50/hour here and the service sucks. Fried bologna with cheese is excellent

Fast food joints all have one thing in common. They produce this.

Once all the fast food workers make $15 an hour, I wonder what they will charge for one of their hamburgers. $25?

The "fight for $15" is a thing here as well. We have had employees quit assembly jobs with benefits because they perceive more value collecting $15/hour with zero stress at McDonalds.
My problem with it is this... I frequently order a large coffee with 2 creams and 2 sugars and I would say 40% of the time my coffee is either missing the sugar entirely or has not been stirred. The same people that screech that they deserve a "living wage" for doing teenager work can't even consistently make a cup of coffee correctly!

You could pay people $50/hour with the same results, no work ethic or desire to get one.