The fast-casual staple where prices have DOUBLED in just 5 years

Rising food prices have become more noticeable in the eyes of customers year after year, but the cost of eating at one popular restaurant has increased by almost 100 percent increase since 2020.

FinanceBuzz, a financial resources website, recently collected data from 16 fast-casual restaurant chains that are popular in the US.

Experts concluded that all of the chains included in their research had raised their prices significantly between 2020 and 2025, but one stood out from the rest.

'From 2020 to 2025, the inflation rate in the United States rose by 22 percent,' read the findings.

'In that same time frame, the average price increase at 16 popular chain restaurants was nearly twice as high, at 42 percent.'

However, it's the fast-casual staple Waffle House that lead them all with an increase of about 96 percent, according to the data.

IHOP was not far behind the Georgia-based restaurant chain, as studies showed its average prices grew by 82 percent.

Waffle House and IHOP are just two breakfast chains that were hit the hardest by a nationwide issue - eggflation.

Skyrocketing egg prices and shortages are just two factors that are part of this nationwide crisis.

Following the continued egg decline, Waffle House decided to add a 50-cent per egg surcharge across all its menus on February 3.

The breakfast empire explained in its announcement that if it hadn't decided to add the surcharge, it would've had to increase the prices of its menu items.

However, Waffle House's menu prices for items like hash browns and coffee rose immensely over the last few years.

Customers went from paying $1.95 to $4.20 for a serving of hash browns, while this year's coffee price clocked in at $3.15 after having been worth $1.80 in 2020. 

Denny's, which had a 36 percent average price increase between 2020 and 2025, followed Waffle House's footsteps and added what they hope will be a 'temporary' egg surcharge later that month.

Despite the eggflation crisis, IHOP and other restaurant chains on the list like Cracker Barrel have opted not to add the additional egg fee.

'At Cracker Barrel, country hospitality is as important to us as a hearty breakfast - and that means not charging extra for eggs,' the chain confirmed in a February 2025 statement.

The third largest average price increase was only 46 percent and found at Texas Roadhouse.

Popular chains TGI Fridays, Applebee's, Cheesecake Factory, and Hooters also made the list with 40 to 45 percent price growth.

Others that fell between 26 and 29 percent price increases include Longhorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden, and Chili's. 

'I don't think most Americans will be all that surprised to learn prices have been increasing at restaurants, but there may be some sticker shock when you look at where we were a few years ago vs. now,' Chris Lewis, the director of digital PR at FinanceBuzz, told Food & Wine. 

'Customers have been feeling higher prices for years, but it's hard to notice or understand how incremental price changes when they're just 50 cents at a time.'

Despite the list, fast-casual restaurant chains had suffered a major slump in its sales last year, and Hooters is currently preparing to file for bankruptcy.

Although it's unclear what the future will bring, experts believe sales will keep dropping, and its growth will 'essentially be flat on a real basis.'