California's $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers could make burgers and chicken so expensive that people just buy more groceries instead

• Some diners could be put off eating out when fast-food prices in California go up in the spring.
• The state is raising the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $20 an hour, prompting restaurants to hike menu prices.
• Other industries may have to increase pay to compete for labor.

California is putting up the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $20 an hour on April 1 — and it could make restaurant prices so unpalatable that people buy more groceries to cook at home instead.

Fast-food workers in the Golden State won't just get a one-off raise – the new legislation includes setting up a fast-food council that will be able to increase the minimum wage by up to 3.5% a year, depending on inflation.