Prices at the Golden Arches and other chains are too rich these days.

現在金拱門和其他連鎖店的價格太貴了。

A new survey finding nearly 80 percent of Americans now view fast food as a luxury amid sky-high inflation, McDonald's in particular under the microscope for their price hikes over the years, McDonald's president admitting that Big Mac prices have surged more than 20 percent since 2019.

一項新的調查發現，在通脹率居高不下的情況下，近 80% 的美國人現在將快餐視為奢侈品，麥當勞尤其因其多年來的漲價行為而受到關注，麥當勞總裁承認，自 2019 年以來，巨無霸的價格已經飆升了 20% 以上。

But the fast food giant is also trying to entice Americans back to their restaurants, gearing up for a month-long special offering, some menu items for $5.

不過，這家快餐巨頭也在努力吸引美國人回到他們的餐廳，準備推出為期一個月的特價商品，其中一些菜單商品的價格為 5 美元。

Many franchisees are not loving it, arguing the deal cuts into already thin margins.

許多特許經營商對此並不感冒，認為這筆交易削減了本已微薄的利潤。

Stores in California, for example, getting hit particularly hard with the state's fast food minimum wage increase now in its second month.

例如，加利福尼亞州的快餐業最低工資上調已進入第二個月，該州的快餐店受到的衝擊尤為嚴重。

Joining me right now is one of them, McDonald's franchisee owner Scott Roderick is with us.

麥當勞特許經營店老闆斯科特-羅德里克（Scott Roderick）就是其中之一。

He owns and operates 18 franchises in Northern California.

他在北加州擁有並經營著 18 家特許經營店。

Scott, great to have you this weekend.

斯科特，很高興這個週末你能來。

Thanks so much for joining us.

非常感謝你加入我們。

Thank you so much.

非常感謝。

How's business?

生意怎麼樣？

And give us a sense of the impact of inflation.

讓我們瞭解一下通貨膨脹的影響。

Well, Maria, inflation has had a devastating effect on Californians.

瑪麗亞，通貨膨脹對加州人造成了毀滅性的影響。

Its impact can be felt on both sides of my front counter.

我的前臺兩側都能感受到它的影響。

Obviously, from the consumer standpoint in California, they see inflation happening at the gas pump, with groceries, rent, utilities, getting insurance, and of course, even dining out.

顯然，從加州消費者的角度來看，他們看到通貨膨脹發生在加油泵、食品雜貨、房租、水電費、保險，當然還有外出就餐。

And on my side of the front counter, the extraordinary $20 wage increase in April of this year is the biggest inflation driver of them all.

而在我這邊，今年 4 月 20 美元的非同尋常的工資增長是最大的通脹驅動因素。

And of course, there are halo effects on that, including the payroll tax implications and workman's compensation taxes.

當然，這也會產生一些光環效應，包括工資稅和工傷賠償稅。

And the impact of inflation in my restaurant business is not just the 25 percent wage increase.

通脹對我餐館生意的影響不僅僅是 25% 的工資漲幅。

There's a steep trend line up for all of my backdoor food and paper costs.

我的所有後門食品和紙張成本都呈直線上升趨勢。

Access to capital is a challenge.

獲得資金是一項挑戰。

The cost of capital, you mentioned in the last segment about the 11 rate hikes that the Fed has executed well.

關於資本成本，你在上一部分提到了美聯儲執行得很好的 11 次加息。

At one point, you could borrow money to start or grow your business at 3 or 4 percent.

曾經，你可以以 3% 或 4% 的利率借錢創業或發展業務。

Now franchisees are looking at 8, 9, 10 percent to grow their business.

現在，加盟商希望以 8%、9%、10% 的速度發展業務。

So when you add that on top of the relentless drumbeat of government regulation that chokes the oxygen out of small business, we've got a problem in the state of California.

是以，如果再加上政府無情的監管，扼殺了小企業的氧氣，那麼加利福尼亞州就有問題了。

So what are you doing about it, Scott?

斯科特，你打算怎麼辦？

Have you been forced to raise prices?

您是否被迫提高價格？

How do you square that circle?

如何擺平這個圈子？

Well, in terms of raising prices, you know, walking through this inflation minefield has to be done gingerly.

那麼，就提高價格而言，你知道，穿越通脹雷區必須小心翼翼。

I can't charge $25 for a happy meal.

我不能為一頓快樂餐收取 25 美元。

I have to be thoughtful about my approach.

我必須對我的方法深思熟慮。

And you mentioned the national $5 meal deal offer, which is being launched next month nationally at McDonald's.

你還提到了麥當勞下個月在全國範圍內推出的 5 美元套餐優惠。

That's going to jumpstart a summer value campaign.

這將啟動夏季價值宣傳活動。

My restaurants have always been a leader in providing value for our customers.

我的餐廳在為顧客提供價值方面一直處於領先地位。

It's part of my franchised DNA for 70 years.

這是我 70 年來特許經營基因的一部分。

I've been in this business for 30.

我幹這行已經 30 年了。

My family's been in this McDonald's business for 50 years, if you can believe it.

我的家族經營麥當勞已經有 50 年了，如果你相信的話。

Obviously, the sustainability of this $5 campaign is all about driving incremental visits versus tradeoff, essentially growing the baseline and winning market share, which is critical to surviving that 25% overnight increase in the California minimum wage.

很顯然，這項 5 美元活動的可持續性在於推動訪問量的增加與權衡，從根本上提高基線並贏得市場份額，這對於在加州最低工資一夜之間增加 25% 的情況下生存下來至關重要。

And so if you're looking at, you know, what's driving inflation on my side of the counter, of course, it is the cost of labor, the cost of entry level labor.

是以，如果你想知道是什麼推動了我這邊的通脹，當然是勞動力成本，入門級勞動力的成本。

We're in the people business.

我們做的是人的生意。

We just so happen to sell hamburgers.

我們正好賣漢堡包。

And so the idea of cutting hours, cutting shifts, that for my business is not sustainable.

是以，削減工時、減少輪班的想法對我的企業來說是不可持續的。

People are my greatest asset in my company.

人是我公司最大的財富。

So I'm looking at trying to identify other costs to survive this unprecedented legislation.

是以，我正試圖確定其他費用，以便在這項史無前例的立法中生存下來。

Unbelievable.

難以置信

Scott, great to have you.

斯科特，很高興見到你。

Thanks very much.

非常感謝。

We'll be watching.

我們會關注的。

Thank you, Maria.

謝謝你，瑪麗亞。