Beer Prices Rise to a Median of $6.50

What Affects Pricing

Whether it's a craft brew from a local brewery or a mass-produced domestic beer, the majority of beers contain four ingredients: water, hops, yeast, and grains, with barley being the most common. Beer can also be made from other grains, such as wheat, rice, corn, oats, rye, and more. 

Aside from raw ingredients, other factors that affect the price of beer include taxes, distribution costs, packaging costs (such as aluminum cans and kegs or glass bottles), labor, demand, and production expenses. While there are countless American beers served in restaurants in the U.S., there are also plenty of imported beers from around the world, which can face additional costs, from tariffs to shipping costs. 

At restaurants, refrigeration — from walk-in coolers filled with kegs to keep draft beers cold to lowboy fridges behind the bar for bottles and cans — staffing, and maintaining draft beer lines can also have an effect on pricing.

October Burger Prices Jump to $14.53, up 3.2% since October 2024

Burgerflation

While the price of burgers on Toast restaurant menus has been increasing, it has not kept pace with the surge in beef prices in recent months. But the recent rise suggests that restaurants may be finally raising menu prices to offset some of the rising beef costs.

Ground beef is often made from less desirable cuts of meat, making it a cheaper alternative for those hoping to save a few bucks. But burgers are no longer just for fast-food restaurants. From brisket burgers to imported Kobe beef, award-winning burgers are served at Michelin-starred restaurants and fast-casual chains alike.

However, sourcing and processing meat can add significant costs for restaurants. While a significant portion of beef served at restaurants is raised in the U.S., prices can vary widely depending on how the animals were raised.

Cheese and bun prices can also affect burger prices. While there’s nothing more classic than two slices of American cheese on a burger, more complex cheeses that require time to age and develop can cost a premium. 

Key Factors in Recent Years

Beef prices have soared for various reasons, including a decreasing herd size while demand has stayed high, according to the Associated Press.

Supply chain issues from the COVID-19 pandemic, labor shortages,  production costs at meatpacking plants, export demands, and droughts have collectively pushed meat prices higher in recent years.

Sourcing vegetables has faced similar challenges in recent years. Seasonal and migrant farm workers are in short supply. At the same time, climate issues and drought in Western states like California, which produces a large percentage of vegetables in the U.S., have increased costs and limited production, driving up prices.

The prices of a burger can vary greatly from restaurant to restaurant, depending on how many upgrades the chef has made to this American staple.

Burrito Prices Roll Up to a Median Price of $13.43

What Affects Pricing

A lot of work can go into crafting a perfectly wrapped burrito, and depending on customer preferences, a lot of ingredients, too.

While tortillas, rice, and beans are relatively cheap, there’s a lot of prep time involved for restaurants — from soaking beans to braising or slow-cooking proteins. And anyone who’s ordered a burrito knows that those add-ons can add up quickly. (Yes, we know the guac is extra, and yes, we still want it.)

Sourcing and processing meat can also add significant costs for restaurants. While the majority of meat is raised in the U.S., those prices can vary widely based on how the animals were raised.

Median Regular Coffee Prices Rise to $3.57

What Affects Pricing?

The price of regular coffee on restaurant menus in the United States has experienced significant fluctuations over the past two years. Several factors can influence the price of coffee, including sourcing, demand, labor, equipment, and overhead costs.

Key Factors Recently

Weather is among the most influential factors affecting coffee prices in recent years. Coffee requires very specific conditions to grow and is primarily sourced from an area known as the “bean belt,” which lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

Extreme weather, including both droughts and flooding, has put a strain on coffee production over the past few years, but demand has continued to grow.

Due to increased demand and climate concerns from harvesters in Brazil , coffee prices may continue climbing at a rate higher than that of other menu items. After remaining flat for several months, median coffee prices started rising again in July 2025.

Median Cold Brew Prices Grow to $5.53 in October 2025

What Affects Pricing?

Like regular coffee, various factors can affect the price of cold brew coffee, including sourcing, demand, labor, equipment, and overhead. 

One of the most influential factors affecting coffee prices in recent years has been weather. Coffee requires very specific conditions to grow and is primarily sourced from an area known as the “bean belt,” which lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.  Extreme weather, including both droughts and flooding, has put a strain on coffee production over the past few years, but demand has continued to grow.

Median Chicken Wing Prices Dip to $13.72 in October 2025

Why Chicken Prices Don't Always Rise with Egg Prices

A recent avian flu outbreak in the U.S. sent egg prices soaring, prompting some restaurants to add egg surcharges, reduce the number of eggs they serve, or switch to liquid eggs to keep costs and prices low. The good news? Broiler chickens, the type of bird that produces chicken wings, differ from egg-laying hens, and they have not been as susceptible to the bird flu outbreak that began in 2024, leading to more stable chicken wing prices while egg prices saw greater fluctuation.

Moreover, there are far more broiler chickens than egg-laying chickens in the U.S., and they can be processed for their meat in about six to eight weeks. Egg-laying chickens, on the other hand, start laying after 18 weeks of age. All of this adds up to a more plentiful supply of chicken wings that are less exposed to the virus, and helps explain why the cost of chicken wings for restaurants has not increased as much as egg prices.

Egg prices have cooled in recent months. Median chicken wing prices also dipped between September and October 2025.