National Burger Day Will Cost Americans A Lot More This Year

ACROSS AMERICA — No matter how the bun is sliced, it’s going to cost more to celebrate National Burger Day with brag-worthy burgers from the grill this Saturday.

Because inflation. And supply chain issues. Beef industry market concentration doesn’t help, either, according to members of Congress who have been grilling the “big four” — National Beef, JBS, Cargill and Tyson, which together control 85 percent of the industry — on why prices are spiraling. And neither does the war in Ukraine, which could cause already high bread prices to soar by up to 35 percent this summer.

Burgers don’t always contain beef, although suggesting otherwise is practically a criminal offense, according to groups like the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, which grabbed the branding rights with the National Day Calendar folks for National Beef Burger Day.

But go ahead and have a pork burger or turkey burger or veggie burger or some other burger that never mooed, oinked or clucked. We’re agnostic here at Patch. Eat what you want.

And for what it’s worth, there’s no agreement on whether Saturday is National Beef Burger Day or National Hamburger Day (even the National Day Calendar that made a deal with the Cattleman’s Association split the difference by listing both). A site called the Ultimate Public Holiday Guide — though we have not independently verified the claim of superiority — says Saturday is National Burger Day.

Whatever, right? What matters is that people who are going with beef for their burgers, and very likely many are, should be prepared to open their wallets.

• Related: How Meat That Never Mooed, Oinked Or Clucked Changes How America Eats

Here, based on the most recent Consumer Price Index inflation figures and Agriculture Department national retail reports, is a look at how much more Americans will pay if they fire up the grill to celebrate America’s favorite sandwich:

In general, ground beef cost about 4.8 percent more this past April than in April 2021, according to the latest inflation report.

A national retail report from the Agriculture Department shows that as of May 20, a pound of 70-79 percent ground beef costs $2.78 per pound, compared with $2.38 last year. Ground beef with a lean-to-fat ratio of 70/30 makes the juiciest burgers, according to Better Homes & Gardens.

Some other foodies, including the folks who run the Memphis Barbecue Championship site, recommend 80-90 percent lean ground beef, which costs about $4.93 a pound, compared with $3.26 at this time last year.

People who are counting calories — but prefer ground beef over white meat alternatives such as ground pork or turkey, or plant-based meats — may prefer 90 percent lean or greater ground beef. It has far fewer calories, but it’s going to cost a bit more: $4.99 a pound, compared with $4.76 this time last year. The burger also won’t be as juicy and moist as burgers made with ground beef with greater fat content, though.

Depending on the cut of meat, it’s possible to save a little money (or spend quite a lot more), according to the Ag Department’s most recent report on retail prices. Some examples:

• Ground round — $4.63 a pound this week, compared with $4.54 this time last year.
• Ground chuck — $4.39 a pound this week, compared with $3.39 this time last year.
• Ground sirloin — $5.29 a pound this week, compared with $4.07 this time last year.

So, assuming the gathering is for 12 people and assuming three patties per pound to account for shrinkage on the grill, the meat alone will cost anywhere from $11.12 for the cheapest ground beef to $21 for the most expensive ground beef. The same purchases a year ago would’ve cost from $9.25 to $16.28, respectively.

Cheeseburger, cheeseburger? Cheeses cost about 6.5 percent more in April 2022 than in April 2021, according to the latest CPI figures.

Buns will cost about 10 percent more, pickles 9.3 percent more and condiments 5.2 percent more than this time last year, according to the CPI report.

Discerning grocery shoppers may find good deals on hamburger buns, but they could also cost upward of $3.18 for 12 buns. Brand-name buns are often more expensive and sold eight at a time — four short of enough to feed a party of 12, so that increases costs even more.

Condiments cost 8.5 percent more in April 2022 than a year prior.

Pickles or not? Along with olives and relishes, pickles had an average inflation rate of 1.95 percent per year from 1997 to 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Inflation Calculator. That means pickles, olives or relishes that cost $20 in 1997 would cost $32.99 now.

Want lettuce, onions and tomatoes between those pricey buns?

Tomatoes won’t cost much more, with a modest year-over-year increase of 0.4 percent, according to the latest CPI. Onions could cost about 6.3 percent more.

But let us think twice abut the lettuce. U.S. consumers should be prepared to pay about 12.7 percent more for lettuce in April 2022 than in the year prior.

Side dishes? Maybe ask others in that party of 12 to chip in the chips (snacks increased 9.8 percent year over year), the baked beans (up anywhere from 10.7 to 11.4 percent) and the ice cream (up about 4.7 percent).

Also, prepare to pay about 5 percent more for beer. Soda pop costs about 9.2 percent more. Wine increased slightly, by about 1.5 percent over the 12-month period ending in April.

Even so, cheers. Enjoy that burger.