You do realize that not all "minimum wage" jobs are fast food related, right? Not even 10% Not sure how you can have a machine replace a landscaper (cost effectively), a low end construction worker (cost effectively), a cook in a restaurant, a waiter in a restraurant, an apartment maintenance guy, a pizza delivery driver, a dockhand etc (and those are just the jobs I did in high school and college for basically minimum wage, and not mentioning the other tens of thousands of other types of minimum wage jobs that exist) And don't fool yourself, if fast food prices go up 20% nearly everyone would still eat there, because most people are still too lazy to eat healthy/make there own lunch to begin with. In fact, places like McDonalds (much like bars) are some of the most recession proof businesses one could own!