It has gotten more expensive. But if you're spending $68 for 3 people at Popeye's, someone in that group is eating at levels that will eventually win them a spot on "My 600lb Life".
I have a family to provide for. I'm surprised at a $68 bill at Popeyes. Taking my family there is normally a good bit less than that. Maybe if it was in some tourist trap area or something, but generally that would be quite high.
A) Dining prices going up that much was way more than inflation.
B) Reigning in inflation doesn't mean prices go back down, it means they stop increasing quickly.
$68 is entirely believable for expensive areas; I'm in the rust belt.
(See, for example, the famous $1 pizza slice that lasted a lot longer there than elsewhere.)
Your local example failed, so you hand-waved at expensive areas. Someone points out that it's also false in an expensive area, and you say "no not that expensive area it doesn't count".
Why do you feel the need to defend the honor of the "Costs $68 to feed 3 at Popeye's" exaggeration?
It’s obviously just bullshit.