The fees get distributed elsewhere geographically, and never make it back into the local economy. Sure, the money doesn't disappear, but the locals are worse off for it.
This is the crux here. And this is what I tell people who are so insistent on highways and cars too - the productivity of your local economy is siphoned off because local coffee shops can’t afford to compete with Starbucks drive throughs so the capital leaves your local economy.
Where I live a Starbucks was opened across the street from a local coffee shop and the Starbucks closed because it couldn’t compete. This is in a walkable neighborhood. Once you get to the ‘burbs and highways it’s all Starbucks.
