They can and will replace people.
Consumers don’t want to pay more than X dollars for food.
There is limit to how much fast food restaurants can gouge their customers.
$15 is a good way to throw a lot people out of work.
And the sad part? It won’t actually raise their standard of living.
Value meals are ridiculously high already. A drive thru burger/fries/drink shouldn't cost $8-10. I've posted several times I can make 5 homemade copycat Schlotsky's sandwiches for the price of a store bought. Cheapo bean burritos cost pennies at home compared to Taco Bell. A $3 bag of chips cost 25 cents to make at home. Slice and fry isn't brain surgery. And forget about Pizza Hut. Pizza is the most over charged item out there next to coffee. $15/hr. may wake people up about sack lunches and leftovers and they'll start learning to cook again. Shocker, my aunt called on Thanksgiving and said they weren't going out for dinner. They used to eat out daily.