Then the people working there aren't rational actors. Amazon is paying $15/h nationally, why would anyone work for $7.25?

> even though they've had to cut hours and are now "drive-through-only" for big chunks of every day

And when everyone leaves for the higher paying jobs (as they should), they'll raise wages. That's how a market works.

> almost nobody in HCOL areas gets paid that

No, nobody in HCOL areas gets paid that, not only because state and local minimum wages are higher but also because the market price for unskilled labor is way higher than even local minimum wage. And if you're getting underpaid you should quit. There is plenty of access to market wage unskilled jobs, if those people are staying despite being underpaid that's on them.