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

“ 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?”