Since we've had this conversation before, I know the following:
You've never eaten at In-n-Out, and nobody but someone who has never eaten at In-n-Out makes a fool of themselves comparing a McDonald's 99 cent cheeseburger to anything In-n-Out offers. Please stop offering your opinion on this matter.
I've eaten at McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Hardee's, Checkers, Fudruckers, Rally's, Red Robin, and a few others. I can pretty damn well guess what kind of burger In-n-Out offers. If you don't want shitty McDonald's burger, you can still get a good burger for $3 at McD's, plus a buck for fries and soda, and it'll still be about the same. No, it won't be as fresh, but you'll have more than just cheese and beef on it.
Give us a formula that would determine how much someone should get paid based on the type of work they do, the amount of time it takes up, and what you consider to be decent wage. Then please explain why someone shouldn't be allowed to work for less than that wage if they need the job more than whoever is holding it now.
Still not getting it, are you? In-n-Out employs about the same number of employees per lunch served as other fast food restaurants, but pays more. Therefore, it appears you're trying to make the argument that if other restaurants adopted a model such as In-n-Out, there would be less jobs for burger flippers.
Yes, I am making the argument that McDonald's is able to employ more people, in a wider range of areas, than In-n-Out. The fact that there are barely any In-n-Outs out there compared to McDonald's supports that claim. If you wish to refute or explain away the facts to answer why there are way fewer In-n-Outs, I'm all ears.
Also, please answer the question: How will you determine what is a "decent wage" and what is the actual number?
Here's some advice, since you desperately want to show that businesses can't afford to pay more: look at the various fast food business models, and see where they're wasting money and why they're wasting money.
No, you got it backwards and wrong. You are the one desperately trying to show that businesses can afford to pay a lot more. I am trying to show that it's not up to the businesses. Businesses are offering work for whatever people are willing to take it for. If someone is willing to take the job for less, because they need it more, they are not prevented from doing it. Also, different McDonald's charge different prices and pay different wages depending on where they are. A BigMac meal in Downtown Disney, Orlando, FL can cost almost $10, and the wages are much higher, because it is a much wealthier and more affluent area. How do you set a wage level while still accounting for these differences?