Price Hikes & Value Pushback

80% of consumers see fast food as luxury. Chains offer under-$5 deals. Wendy's fall menu (Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger, Apple Crumble Frosty Fusion) confirmed. Wendy's sales down 7%, new CEO admits quality/value eroded. Domino's launching personal Detroit-style pizza at $6.99. Value wars intensifying. August roundup includes A&W Dirty Root Beer, Bojangles Carolina Crunch, Jimmy John's PB&J Cookie. Best new burgers of 2026: Sonic Smasher, BK New Whopper, White Castle Veggie Slider, Shake Shack West Coast.