Restaurant menu prices rose 0.3% in both July and August this year and were 3.4% higher this August than a year earlier, according to data reported by the National Restaurant Association in September. For budget-conscious diners and commuters, that steady climb has pushed some consumers toward an unlikely alternative: the gas station.
“Gas stations with quick service attached to them like 7Eleven, am/pm, etc. are the real value now,” one Reddit user wrote in a recent thread discussing fast-food prices. “Everything has shifted upwards. Fast food is now fast casual pricing. Fast casual is now sit down restaurant pricing.”
Across several states, regional convenience store and gas station chains are filling that gap with meals priced well below typical fast-food combos.
New Jersey and New York: QuickChek
QuickChek, based in New Jersey, operates more than 160 locations across New Jersey and parts of New York. Six-inch subs and sandwiches run $5 apiece, and a $4 breakfast combo pairs an English muffin or croissant breakfast sandwich with a 20-ounce hot coffee or energy drink. The chain also sells a small, medium or large iced coffee for $1.99, customizations included.
Pennsylvania: Wawa
Wawa, headquartered in Pennsylvania, took the top spot in the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s 2024 convenience store ranking, largely on the strength of its food — particularly its hoagies. A classic Italian hoagie on a six-inch roll costs $6.29, while a breakfast meal with a breakfast sandwich, hash brown and a coffee or fountain drink runs $5.
National: Buc-ee’s
Buc-ee’s, founded in 1982, has built a national following for low gas prices, branded merchandise and an outsized food selection — a business model that relies on customers spending more inside the store, Yahoo Finance reported in June. The chain’s chopped brisket sandwich, a popular grab-and-go item, sells in its standard 8-ounce size for less than $10 at most locations. A large bag of the chain’s signature Beaver Nuggets corn-puff snack runs about $5, and homemade fudge costs roughly $4 a square, according to Southern Living. Locations are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and the restrooms have earned a reputation of their own online.
“Be sure to check out the clean bathrooms!” one Reddit commenter wrote in a Buc-ee’s discussion thread.
Georgia and South Carolina: Parker’s Kitchen
Parker’s Kitchen, founded in Georgia in 1976, runs 110 locations across Georgia and South Carolina offering Southern-style fried chicken and biscuits at prices that compete with fast-food chains. A $9.99 Fill Up Box includes a small side, a drink and a choice of three chicken tenders, a chicken sandwich, two pork chops, two pieces of fried catfish, or livers and gizzards. The lunch menu adds a $4.99 pulled pork sandwich, a $3.99 barbecue chicken sandwich and a $3.99 cheeseburger.
As restaurant prices continue to edge upward nationally, these regional chains illustrate one way consumers are finding value without sacrificing convenience.
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