Increases in food costs and operations at restaurants are often passed on directly to customers, much to the distaste of the consumer.
The last year has seen great swings in the prices of various food items, and many customers of both grocery stores and restaurants have been displeased. Many have taken their complaints to TikTok, where they resonate with viewers who are experiencing similar difficulties when it comes to heightening costs of living.
One Panera customer has shared her frustration with the value of their sandwich and soup combinations in a TikTok—a simple grilled cheese and order of tomato soup ran her just under $16.
Posted by user Ally (@allyrbackus), the video shows her order with a text overlay detailing her primary complaint about the price.
“Panera is so greedy because why was this $15.91,” a text overlay on the video reads.
@allyrbackus #inflation #panera ♬ greedy – Tate McRae
The Daily Dot has reached out to Ally and to Panera via email regarding the video.
Several viewers commented on the video that while they still loved the bakery chain’s food, they had effectively been priced out of eating there.
“I like Panera, but I’ve been priced out,” one user said.
“I love Panera but yeah it’s too expensive now,” another commenter wrote.
“Looks like the choose 2…..last time I went it was so expensive and I haven’t been back since,” a commenter echoed.
Others remarked that the price was high enough that the poster could have bought the supplies to make multiple meals of soup and sandwiches for that amount.
“You could have bought the groceries to make this same meal for a week for the same amount of money,” one commenter wrote.
“It’s too expensive to eat out anymore,” another said. “Like literally it be cheaper money and time wise to buy the groceries and make it at home.”
“That is crazy,” a commenter wrote. “Feel can be made for less then 5 bucks at home.”
Recently, Panera has been under fire for different reasons. The restaurant chain raised concerns after multiple people called out their Charged Lemonades for their high caffeine content, with some customers going as far as to sue the corporation alleging that the lemonade caused their daughter, who had a heart condition, to die after drinking the beverage.
