Washington has highest menu prices at popular chains, new study finds

Dining out at popular restaurant chains in Washington state costs more than anywhere else in the country, according to a new study from the Washington Hospitality Association, a trade group representing restaurants. At the city level, only San Francisco has more expensive chains than Seattle.

The restaurant trade group looked at the menu prices at chain restaurants with locations in most of the lower 48 states. Hawaii and Alaska were excluded because of their unique costs associated with importing goods.

WHA found that prices in Washington were more than 13% above the national average. In Seattle, they were more than 17% higher, topped only by San Francisco.

WHA president Anthony Anton told KUOW the group conducted the study in response to “panic” and “fear” from member restaurants over price pushback from customers.

Washington has the highest statewide minimum wage in the country, and unlike some states, does not allow restaurant workers to be exempted from that standard if their tips make up the difference.

“ Our minimum wage in Washington state is not insignificant,” said James McCafferty, who studies consumer prices as director of the Center for Economic & Business Research at Western Washington University.

"It's challenging because at one time, one person will tell you how expensive it is … but they insist that all wages should be a certain level," he added. "We want to make sure that people have some form of a minimum wage that allows them some form of quality of life, right?"

A survey by the worker advocacy group Working Washington in April found that Washington’s minimum wage led to a raise for the majority of restaurant workers.