You probably don’t go through a drive-thru every day.
These days, it would probably just be far too expensive.
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That’s because the average cost of a fast-food meal — or any meal, for that matter —has risen in cost over the past several months.
The most recent Consumer Price Index (CPI) found that the cost of food rose by 0.4% overall for the month of March, compared to one month prior.
Food at home, which is typically bought at the grocery store and features the typical staples one might find in the fridge or pantry, rose by 0.5% during the same period.
Food away from home, which is usually categorized as foods you’d get at a restaurant of any kind, rose by 0.4%.
“The food away from home index rose 3.8 percent over the last year. The index for full service meals rose 4.1 percent, and the index for limited service meals rose 3.4 percent over the same period,” the CPI found.
Sonic is introducing two new dipping sauces.
Image source: Bloomberg/Getty Images
Restaurants must get creative
Since the cost of food has gone up everywhere, it’s no surprise that most folks would get choosy about where their money goes.
Inevitably, one of the first expenses to get cut is discretionary spending, which includes things consumers don’t necessarily have to purchase to get by.
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Dining out is almost always one of those costs.
This means most restaurants need to tempt customers back in by experimenting with their menu, adding new flavors, or featuring deals that makes diners feel good about spending money there.
Sonic launches new menu additions
And now, popular fast food chain Sonic is launching two new items to its growing menu to help bring in hungry diners.
The burger and milkshake chain is adding two dipping sauces. They are:
Jalapeño Ranch Asian-Style Sweet Chili
The Jalapeno Ranch is described as a blend of “ranch with a zesty hit of green jalapeños to form a spicy, herby, and creamy dipping experience.”
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The Asian-Style Sweet Chili dipping sauce has a “balance of heat and sweetness with notes of soy sauce, sesame, garlic, and ginger.”
The two new sauces are similar to those of competitors such as Chick Fil A, which offers:
Chick-fil-A Sauce Honey Mustard BarbecuePolynesianZesty BuffaloSweet & Spicy SrirachaHoney Roasted BBQGarden Herb Ranch
