Are fast food portions getting smaller? Fast food and restaurant shrinkflation

By ShrinkRadar · Updated 2026-11-05 · Every figure comes from a sourced case

Yes, at some chains. We have 10 documented cases of fast food and restaurant menu items that got smaller, at 6 chains and restaurants in South Korea, the US, Australia and France, from 2009 to 2026, 3 of them in 2026. 3 lost pieces (dumplings, nuggets and wings), 6 lost weight and 1 got a smaller bun or size. The biggest: McDonald's Big Tasty, single patty (France), 354 g → 225 g (−36.4%). The latest: Goobne Chicken whole drumsticks (tongdari) menu (South Korea), 905 g → 820 g (2026, heraldk.com). In 6 cases the source says the menu price stayed the same. Restaurant portions are menu specifications reported by the press or the chain, not packages, so read the notes on how we count.

Fast Food Facts

Are fast food portions getting smaller?Yes

Documented cuts10

Fewer pieces3

Less weight6

Smaller bun or size1

Chains and restaurants6

Countries4

Years2009–2026

Median cut−18.3%

Same menu price6

Biggest cut−36.4%

Biggest cuts

Fast Food & Restaurants · 2023
McDonald's Big Tasty, single patty (France)
354 → 225 g−36.4%
France · Source: franceinfo.fr
Fast Food & Restaurants · 2025
Kyochon Chicken boneless chicken menus (South Korea)
700 → 500 g−28.6%
South Korea · Source: hankyung.com
Fast Food & Restaurants · 2021
Burger King chicken nuggets in meals
10 → 8 nuggets−20.0%
United States · Source: foxbusiness.com

Every documented menu cut, biggest first

Menu item	Size	Lost	Cut
McDonald's Big Tasty, single patty (France) McDonald's · France · 2023	354 → 225 g	129 g	−36.4%
Kyochon Chicken boneless chicken menus (South Korea) Kyochon · South Korea · 2025	700 → 500 g	200 g	−28.6%
Burger King chicken nuggets in meals Burger King · United States · 2021	10 → 8 nuggets	2 nuggets	−20.0%
Domino's chicken wings in the $7.99 carryout deal Domino's · United States · 2022	10 → 8 wings	2 wings	−20.0%
Maine lobster tail entrée at Noir, Chelsea, New York Noir (NYC) · United States · 2022	5 → 4 oz	1 oz	−20.0%
Vegan gyoza appetizer at Noir, Chelsea, New York Noir (NYC) · United States · 2022	6 → 5 dumplings	1 dumpling	−16.7%
Goobne Chicken boneless drumstick menu (South Korea) Goobne Chicken · South Korea · 2026	800 → 700 g	100 g	−12.5%
McDonald's Quarter Pounder, Double Quarter Pounder and McChicken buns (Australia) McDonald's · Australia · 2009	4.5 → 4 inch bun	0.5 inch bun	−11.1%
Goobne Chicken whole drumsticks (tongdari) menu (South Korea) Goobne Chicken · South Korea · 2026	905 → 820 g	85 g	−9.4%
Goobne Chicken wing-bong (wings) menu (South Korea) Goobne Chicken · South Korea · 2026	930 → 850 g	80 g	−8.6%

By chain: every documented cut

Chains and restaurants with two or more cases, newest first. Each line is a separate menu item.

Chain	Cases	Documented cuts	Biggest
Goobne Chicken	3	Goobne Chicken boneless drumstick menu (South Korea): 800 → 700 g (2026) Goobne Chicken whole drumsticks (tongdari) menu (South Korea): 905 → 820 g (2026) Goobne Chicken wing-bong (wings) menu (South Korea): 930 → 850 g (2026)	−12.5%
McDonald's	2	McDonald's Big Tasty, single patty (France): 354 → 225 g (2023) McDonald's Quarter Pounder, Double Quarter Pounder and McChicken buns (Australia): 4.5 → 4 inch bun (2009)	−36.4%
Noir (NYC)	2	Maine lobster tail entrée at Noir, Chelsea, New York: 5 → 4 oz (2022) Vegan gyoza appetizer at Noir, Chelsea, New York: 6 → 5 dumplings (2022)	−20.0%

Fewer pieces per order

Counted items in a meal, deal or plate (dumplings, nuggets and wings). Where the price stayed the same, the extra cost per piece is old count ÷ new count.

Menu item	Pieces	Lost	Price	Cut
Burger King chicken nuggets in meals Burger King · United States · 2021	10 → 8 nuggets	2 nuggets	—	−20.0%
Domino's chicken wings in the $7.99 carryout deal Domino's · United States · 2022	10 → 8 wings	2 wings	$7.99 both times +25.0% per wing	−20.0%
Vegan gyoza appetizer at Noir, Chelsea, New York Noir (NYC) · United States · 2022	6 → 5 dumplings	1 dumpling	$24 both times +20.0% per dumpling	−16.7%

Less weight per portion

Weights as stated by the source; 4 of these 6 are the chain’s pre-cooking weight standard, not the weight of the cooked food.

Menu item	Weight	Lost	Price	Cut
McDonald's Big Tasty, single patty (France) McDonald's · France · 2023	354 → 225 g	129 g	—	−36.4%
Kyochon Chicken boneless chicken menus (South Korea) Kyochon · South Korea · 2025	700 → 500 g	200 g	Unchanged, per the source note	−28.6%
Maine lobster tail entrée at Noir, Chelsea, New York Noir (NYC) · United States · 2022	5 → 4 oz	1 oz 28 g	$38 both times +25.0% per ounce	−20.0%
Goobne Chicken boneless drumstick menu (South Korea) Goobne Chicken · South Korea · 2026	800 → 700 g	100 g	Unchanged, per the source note	−12.5%
Goobne Chicken whole drumsticks (tongdari) menu (South Korea) Goobne Chicken · South Korea · 2026	905 → 820 g	85 g	Unchanged, per the source note	−9.4%
Goobne Chicken wing-bong (wings) menu (South Korea) Goobne Chicken · South Korea · 2026	930 → 850 g	80 g	—	−8.6%

Smaller bun or size

A diameter, not a weight: the percentage is the cut in width, so the bun’s area and weight fell by more than this, but the source gives no weight.

Menu item	Size	Lost	Cut
McDonald's Quarter Pounder, Double Quarter Pounder and McChicken buns (Australia) McDonald's · Australia · 2009	4.5 → 4 inch bun	0.5 inch bun	−11.1%

By country

Country	Cases	Chains and restaurants	Median cut
South Korea	4	Goobne Chicken and Kyochon	−10.9%
United States	4	Burger King, Domino's and Noir (NYC)	−20.0%
Australia	1	McDonald's	−11.1%
France	1	McDonald's	−36.4%

Newest additions to the library

Fast Food & Restaurants · 2026
Goobne Chicken whole drumsticks (tongdari) menu (South Korea)
905 → 820 g−9.4%
South Korea · Source: heraldk.com
Fast Food & Restaurants · 2026
Goobne Chicken wing-bong (wings) menu (South Korea)
930 → 850 g−8.6%
South Korea · Source: heraldk.com
Fast Food & Restaurants · 2025
Kyochon Chicken boneless chicken menus (South Korea)
700 → 500 g−28.6%
South Korea · Source: hankyung.com

How these cases are counted

Menus, not packages. A supermarket case compares two printed net weights or counts. A restaurant case compares two menu specifications: pieces per order, a listed or pre-cooking weight, a bun size. They come from news reports, the chain’s own statements or a consumer agency, so they say what the chain set or what a reporter measured, not what every outlet served. We list a cut only when the source gives both the old and the new figure, and we do not estimate.

Pre-cooking weights. 4 of the 6 weight cuts (Kyochon Chicken boneless chicken menus (South Korea); Goobne Chicken boneless drumstick menu (South Korea); Goobne Chicken whole drumsticks (tongdari) menu (South Korea); Goobne Chicken wing-bong (wings) menu (South Korea)) are the chain’s pre-cooking weight standard.

How each cut is known.

McDonald's Big Tasty, single patty (France): broadcaster test (franceinfo weighed the burger against McDonald's published weight), franceinfo.fr.
Kyochon Chicken boneless chicken menus (South Korea): news report (company confirmed), hankyung.com.
Burger King chicken nuggets in meals: company-confirmed (franchisee earnings call; Burger King statement to Fox Business), foxbusiness.com.
Domino's chicken wings in the $7.99 carryout deal: company announcement (reported by Fox Business), foxbusiness.com.
Maine lobster tail entrée at Noir, Chelsea, New York: newspaper report (chef interviewed), nypost.com.
Vegan gyoza appetizer at Noir, Chelsea, New York: newspaper report (chef interviewed), nypost.com.
Goobne Chicken boneless drumstick menu (South Korea): company announcement reported by press, asiae.co.kr.
McDonald's Quarter Pounder, Double Quarter Pounder and McChicken buns (Australia): company-confirmed (newspaper report), smh.com.au.
Goobne Chicken whole drumsticks (tongdari) menu (South Korea): company announcement reported by press, heraldk.com.
Goobne Chicken wing-bong (wings) menu (South Korea): company announcement reported by press, heraldk.com.

Later changes: Kyochon Chicken boneless chicken menus (South Korea). After a public and government backlash Kyochon said on 23 Oct 2025 that it would restore the old weight and meat for the four existing boneless menus (Etoday). Korea made weight labelling mandatory for the top 10 chicken chains from Dec 2025.

South Korea shrinkflation list →35 Korean cases: 4 restaurant menus and 31 packaged goods.
US Shrinkflation Tracker →296 US cases, 4 of them restaurant menus.
Meat & fish shrinkflation →5 of its 45 cases are chicken packs from the supermarket; the biggest: Tesco roast chicken drumsticks (UK), 430 g → 350 g (−18.6%).
Frozen food shrinkflation →6 of its 35 cases are nuggets, burgers, pizza, fries or dumplings to cook at home; the biggest: Tyson chicken patties, 10 patties → 8 patties (−20.0%).
Ready meal, pizza & pasta shrinkflation →16 of its 99 cases are pizzas, burgers or dumplings to cook at home; the biggest: Pizza Ah Baguette Salami, 750 g → 500 g (−33.3%).

More: all fast food & restaurants cases · South Korea list · US tracker · best-known examples · all guides.

Brand records

FAQ

Are fast food portions getting smaller?

Yes, at some chains. ShrinkRadar has 10 documented cases of fast food and restaurant menu items that got smaller, at 6 chains and restaurants in South Korea, the US, Australia and France, from 2009 to 2026 (3 of them in 2026). 3 lost pieces (dumplings, nuggets and wings), 6 lost weight and 1 got a smaller bun or size. The most recent: Goobne Chicken whole drumsticks (tongdari) menu (South Korea) 905 g → 820 g (2026); Goobne Chicken wing-bong (wings) menu (South Korea) 930 g → 850 g (2026); Goobne Chicken boneless drumstick menu (South Korea) 800 g → 700 g (2026); Kyochon Chicken boneless chicken menus (South Korea) 700 g → 500 g (2025).

Which fast food item shrank the most?

McDonald's Big Tasty, single patty (France): 354 g → 225 g (−36.4%, 2023, source: franceinfo.fr). Next: Kyochon Chicken boneless chicken menus (South Korea) 700 g → 500 g (−28.6%); Burger King chicken nuggets in meals 10 nuggets → 8 nuggets (−20.0%); Domino's chicken wings in the $7.99 carryout deal 10 wings → 8 wings (−20.0%).

Has Goobne Chicken made its portions smaller?

Yes. 3 documented cuts, newest first: Goobne Chicken boneless drumstick menu (South Korea) 800 g → 700 g (2026); Goobne Chicken whole drumsticks (tongdari) menu (South Korea) 905 g → 820 g (2026); Goobne Chicken wing-bong (wings) menu (South Korea) 930 g → 850 g (2026).

Has McDonald's made its portions smaller?

Yes. 2 documented cuts, newest first: McDonald's Big Tasty, single patty (France) 354 g → 225 g (2023); McDonald's Quarter Pounder, Double Quarter Pounder and McChicken buns (Australia) 4.5 inch bun → 4 inch bun (2009).

Has Noir (NYC) made its portions smaller?

Yes. 2 documented cuts, newest first: Maine lobster tail entrée at Noir, Chelsea, New York 5 oz → 4 oz (2022); Vegan gyoza appetizer at Noir, Chelsea, New York 6 dumplings → 5 dumplings (2022).

Which chains cut the number of pieces?

3 of the 10 cases are fewer pieces per order: Burger King chicken nuggets in meals: 10 nuggets → 8 nuggets (2021); Domino's chicken wings in the $7.99 carryout deal: 10 wings → 8 wings (2022); Noir (NYC) Vegan gyoza appetizer at Noir, Chelsea, New York: 6 dumplings → 5 dumplings (2022).

Did the menu price stay the same?

In 6 of the 10 cases the source recorded the same menu price before and after, or the case note says the price was unchanged: Kyochon Chicken boneless chicken menus (South Korea); Domino's chicken wings in the $7.99 carryout deal ($7.99, so 25.0% more per wing); Maine lobster tail entrée at Noir, Chelsea, New York ($38, so 25.0% more per ounce); Vegan gyoza appetizer at Noir, Chelsea, New York ($24, so 20.0% more per dumpling); Goobne Chicken boneless drumstick menu (South Korea); Goobne Chicken whole drumsticks (tongdari) menu (South Korea). For the other 4 the source did not say so.

Did any chain reverse a cut?

Kyochon: After a public and government backlash Kyochon said on 23 Oct 2025 that it would restore the old weight and meat for the four existing boneless menus (Etoday). The case stays listed, with this note on its page.

Are restaurant cases counted like supermarket packs?

Not quite. A restaurant portion is a menu specification (pieces per order, a listed or pre-cooking weight, a bun size) reported by the press, the chain or a consumer agency, not a printed net weight on a package. We list a cut only when the source gives both the old and the new figure. 4 of the 6 weight cuts are pre-cooking weights set by the chain.

Where does this data come from?

From heraldk.com, asiae.co.kr, hankyung.com, franceinfo.fr, nypost.com, foxbusiness.com, smh.com.au. Each case page quotes or links its source.