Why The Same Burger Costs More When Purchased At A Neighboring Town

The cost of food purchased at chain restaurants in different towns differs thanks to varying food and beverage tax rates. The Daily Herald crunched the numbers for 25 towns in its Northwest suburban coverage area and found Hanover Park's 3 percent rate ranks the highest. As the newspaper showed, a Quarter Pounder with cheese costs 11 cents more at a Hanover Park McDonald's compared to nearby Bloomingdale.

Overall, those 25 towns brought in about $41 million in food and beverage taxes over the last fiscal year. The lowest rate is 1-percent, as nine towns charge that, with Naperville adjusting that rate to 2 percent for restaurants downtown. For towns with a small retail tax base, raising its food tax provides more of a revenue stream. Of course, the town's tax is just a portion of taxes that diners pay per purchase. Schaumburg, which counts Woodfield Shopping Mall and Ikea as retail tenants, took in the most in food and beverage taxes, bringing home $6.9 million last fiscal year, according to the Herald. Itasca ranked last on the DH's list with $281,082. Check the paper for their complete story.