Publié le 2026-10-02
The same Original Krystal costs $1.29 at one Atlanta Krystal and $1.79 at another
As fast food pricing becomes more data-driven, Drive Thru Index compared the pickup prices of the same items at 342 restaurants of five chains in the Atlanta area. Within each chain, prices for the same item differ by up to 39% from one restaurant to the next.
Données au .
Chiffres clés
- Krystal Original Krystal: $1.29 to $1.79 (+39%)Cheapest in Atlanta, GA, most expensive in Norcross, GA; median $1.39, 7% below Krystal's US median.
- Dunkin' Medium Original Blend: $2.39 to $3.29 (+38%)Cheapest in Sandy Springs, GA, most expensive in Atlanta, GA; median $3.09, the same as Dunkin' US median.
- Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich: $4.99 to $6.79 (+36%)Cheapest in Fairburn, GA, most expensive in Lawrenceville, GA; median $5.49, 5% below Popeyes' US median.
- Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme: $5.49 to $7.49 (+36%)Cheapest in Doraville, GA, most expensive in Alpharetta, GA; median $6.39, 4% below Taco Bell's US median.
- Burger King Whopper: $5.99 to $7.89 (+32%)Cheapest in Atlanta, GA, most expensive in Atlanta, GA; median $6.19, 2% below Burger King's US median.
Fast food chains are collecting more and more data about their customers through mobile apps and loyalty programs: accounts with their details, and what they order and when. They are also experimenting with AI and data-driven pricing. Meanwhile the same item can cost very different amounts from one restaurant to the next, and customers cannot see why. Drive Thru Index publishes every restaurant's real price, every day, so anyone can check.
Krystal: a Original Krystal costs $1.29 at two Krystal restaurants in Atlanta and Decatur, GA and $1.79 at the Krystal in Norcross, GA, $0.50 (39%) more. Across its 19 restaurants in the Atlanta area, the median is $1.39, 7% below Krystal's US median of $1.49.
Dunkin': a Medium Original Blend costs $2.39 at the Dunkin' in Sandy Springs, GA and $3.29 at the Dunkin' in Atlanta, GA, $0.90 (38%) more. Across its 121 restaurants in the Atlanta area, the median is $3.09, the same as Dunkin' US median of $3.09.
Popeyes: a Classic Chicken Sandwich costs $4.99 at three Popeyes restaurants in Fairburn, Lilburn and Peachtreecity, GA and $6.79 at the Popeyes in Lawrenceville, GA, $1.80 (36%) more. Across its 55 restaurants in the Atlanta area, the median is $5.49, 5% below Popeyes' US median of $5.79.
Taco Bell: a Crunchwrap Supreme costs $5.49 at three Taco Bell restaurants in Doraville, Marietta and Roswell, GA and $7.49 at 13 Taco Bell restaurants in Alpharetta, Marietta, Atlanta, Austell, Douglasville, Lawrenceville, Peachtree Corners, Powder Springs, Roswell and Smyrna, GA, $2.00 (36%) more. Across its 74 restaurants in the Atlanta area, the median is $6.39, 4% below Taco Bell's US median of $6.69.
Burger King: a Whopper costs $5.99 at 29 Burger King restaurants in Atlanta, Decatur, Alpharetta, Duluth, Snellville, Stone Mountain, College Park, Conyers, Doraville, Ellenwood, Fayetteville, Forest Park, Hiram, Lake City, Lawrenceville, Lilburn, Lithonia and Roswell, GA and $7.89 at two Burger King restaurants in Atlanta and Lawrenceville, GA, $1.90 (32%) more. Across its 73 restaurants in the Atlanta area, the median is $6.19, 2% below Burger King's US median of $6.29.
Anthony Gherghetta, an Australian software developer who built Drive Thru Index, started it after reading some of the buzz about AI being used to set fast food prices: he wanted to see whether it was true, and how big the price differences between restaurants really were.
“I kept reading that fast food chains were starting to use AI and customer data to set prices, so I wanted to see if it was true and how big the differences really were. In Australia, where I’m from, a Big Mac costs much the same wherever you buy it. In the US the price changes from one restaurant to the next. Fast food apps now know what you order, when and where, but customers can’t see how prices are set. So I built Drive Thru Index to check every restaurant, every day,” said Gherghetta.
Citations
The same Krystal Original Krystal costs $1.29 in Atlanta, GA but $1.79 in Norcross, GA.
The same Dunkin' Medium Original Blend costs $2.39 in Sandy Springs, GA but $3.29 in Atlanta, GA.
The same Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich costs $4.99 in Fairburn, GA but $6.79 in Lawrenceville, GA.
The same Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme costs $5.49 in Doraville, GA but $7.49 in Alpharetta, GA.
The same Burger King Whopper costs $5.99 in Atlanta, GA but $7.89 in Atlanta, GA.
Images
Les chiffres derrière le communiqué
Chaque chiffre provient de nos relevés du 2026-10-02, avec la page de ce site qui le présente.
| Chiffre | Valeur | Où le voir |
|---|---|---|
| Krystal Original Krystal: $1.29 to $1.79 (+39%) | Cheapest in Atlanta, GA, most expensive in Norcross, GA; median $1.39, 7% below Krystal's US median. | Voir la page |
| Dunkin' Medium Original Blend: $2.39 to $3.29 (+38%) | Cheapest in Sandy Springs, GA, most expensive in Atlanta, GA; median $3.09, the same as Dunkin' US median. | Voir la page |
| Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich: $4.99 to $6.79 (+36%) | Cheapest in Fairburn, GA, most expensive in Lawrenceville, GA; median $5.49, 5% below Popeyes' US median. | Voir la page |
| Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme: $5.49 to $7.49 (+36%) | Cheapest in Doraville, GA, most expensive in Alpharetta, GA; median $6.39, 4% below Taco Bell's US median. | Voir la page |
| Burger King Whopper: $5.99 to $7.89 (+32%) | Cheapest in Atlanta, GA, most expensive in Atlanta, GA; median $6.19, 2% below Burger King's US median. | Voir la page |
| Krystal Original Krystal le moins cher (restaurants) | $1.29 (2) | Atlanta, GA, Decatur, GA |
| Krystal Original Krystal le plus cher (restaurants) | $1.79 (1) | Norcross, GA |
| Dunkin' Medium Original Blend le moins cher (restaurants) | $2.39 (1) | Sandy Springs, GA |
| Dunkin' Medium Original Blend le plus cher (restaurants) | $3.29 (1) | Atlanta, GA |
| Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich le moins cher (restaurants) | $4.99 (3) | Fairburn, GA, Lilburn, GA, Peachtreecity, GA |
| Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich le plus cher (restaurants) | $6.79 (1) | Lawrenceville, GA |
| Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme le moins cher (restaurants) | $5.49 (3) | Doraville, GA, Marietta, GA, Roswell, GA |
| Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme le plus cher (restaurants) | $7.49 (13) | Alpharetta, GA, Alpharetta, GA, Alpharetta, GA, Atlanta, GA, Austell, GA, Douglasville, GA, Lawrenceville, GA, Marietta, GA, Marietta, GA, Peachtree Corners, GA, Powder Springs, GA, Roswell, GA, Smyrna, GA |
| Burger King Whopper le moins cher (restaurants) | $5.99 (29) | Alpharetta, GA, Alpharetta, GA, Atlanta, GA, Atlanta, GA, Atlanta, GA, Atlanta, GA, Atlanta, GA, College Park, GA, Conyers, GA, Decatur, GA, Decatur, GA, Decatur, GA, Decatur, GA, Doraville, GA, Duluth, GA, Duluth, GA, Ellenwood, GA, Fayetteville, GA, Forest Park, GA, Hiram, GA, Lake City, GA, Lawrenceville, GA, Lilburn, GA, Lithonia, GA, Roswell, GA, Snellville, GA, Snellville, GA, Stone Mountain, GA, Stone Mountain, GA |
| Burger King Whopper le plus cher (restaurants) | $7.89 (2) | Atlanta, GA, Lawrenceville, GA |
Méthodologie, à propos et contact
Drive Thru Index reads every restaurant's menu from each chain's own ordering app every day; these are the latest pickup prices collected on or before October 2, 2026, in US dollars. The area covers restaurants within 25 miles (40 km) of downtown of Atlanta, each restaurant counted in its nearest city. Each chain is compared only with itself, on its own signature item, and only where it has at least 5 restaurants in the area; prices are never compared between chains or converted between currencies. The cheapest and most expensive restaurants leave out airports and similar special sites, which are reported separately.
About Drive Thru Index: Drive Thru Index (drivethruindex.com) publishes the menu price of every item at every restaurant of the biggest fast food brands, collected each day from the chains' own ordering apps. As pricing becomes more data-driven, it exists so that customers can see what each restaurant really charges and how it compares with others nearby. It covers the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, Spain, Mexico and the Netherlands. Brands are only compared with themselves, and prices are never converted between currencies. Its figures are free to quote with attribution: "Source: Drive Thru Index".
The images with this release are free to use with the credit "Image: Drive Thru Index (drivethruindex.com)".
Media contact: anthony@drivethruindex.com
Sources de contexte
Ne fait pas partie du communiqué : les articles qui étayent sa seule phrase de contexte, pour répondre aux questions des journalistes.
- How restaurant loyalty programs can drive more traffic and improve experiences Restaurant Dive, 2024-08-15
Restaurant loyalty apps pull in customers' ordering history and preferences, to personalise offers and recommendations (the intro's apps and loyalty programmes). - Wendy's backtracks on dynamic pricing Restaurant Dive, 2024-02-28
Wendy's told investors it would test dynamic and AI-enabled pricing on digital menu boards from 2025, then said after a backlash that it would not raise prices at the busiest times (the intro's experiments with data-driven pricing). - Inside McDonald's push to have AI price your Big Mac CNBC, 2026-09-29
Reports a Reuters investigation into an AI tool that recommends menu prices to McDonald's restaurants; McDonald's says franchisees remain free to set their own prices. Not quoted in the release text; the page could not be fetched to check its wording, only its search listing.