A NEW LOW IN THE RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE

[ladder13]

Chief, I know you’re in SW Florida. What town is that? My wife and I frequent many high end restaurants in Naples and Marco Island. While I don’t really pay attention to prices, I’m sure a $22 drink would catch my eye. My wife drinks dirty Grey Goose Martinis. Not because she snobbish. It’s the only Vodka that doesn’t give her a migraine. I’m certain I’ve never paid $22 for one.

We like Alberto’s on Fifth, and went there twice in Jan. There are others on the street likely just as nice, we just haven’t tried them.

 

[BAM-BAM]

$100-120 for dinner for two...... OK $240 is crazy.

Around here beer and wine are about $6 now...... a Kentucky Mule $12.

IIRC our last outing on Mt Washington in the Burgh entrees were between $30-40.

 

[Bald1]

Yes 5th Ave is a great area. Anything you could possibly want.

 

[Telecaster]

Restaurants probably hate us because we order water as our beverage.

 

[Yendor357]

You want to save money, stay at home.

You want prices to come down, stay at home for a while at least.

You want someone to wait on you hand and foot in an expensive place to live like Naples Florida, get your money out. I wouldn’t wait tables to save my soul.

To a lot of people, food is entertainment. The drive thru at Burger King is just fine with me.

 

[dockmurgw]

We rarely dine out. But when we do, we splurge on the wine.

 

[chief38]

We have company over for a drink or two before we go out, Just got tired of paying high prices for drinks then complaining about it.

We do that sometimes too, but many times we meet at a restaurant not located close to home and the last thing I want to do is drink and drive. If we do that and it's my turn to drive I won't drink at all until we get home. We never have desert and coffee at the restaurant and when we get back home we will serve coffee, desert and after dinner drinks. We usually like to have a designated driver.

 

[ladder13]

It was obviously a very nice restaurant if one drink is $22 bucks, like downtown Atlanta, or maybe you're in an area where everything is high?
We go out every Friday with another couple and usually one day during the week and our total is usually around $100 bucks per meal for two and I don't drink, but the wife will have a glass of wine. That's just the way it is these days.

We recently attended a baby shower in Atlanta, actually the Buckhead area not even downtown. It was for longtime friends who now live in FL and whose son and DIL live in the Buckhead area.
The night before the shower, fourteen of us had dinner at La Grotta Ristorante. The food was great, the wine flowing. The tab was $3,000. Rob and Chrystal paid the bill. Neither my wife nor I had anything but water. Some of the folks came and left for the night via Uber thankfully.

Next day, the shower was at The Chastain. There were 20+ women there, no idea what the tab was but it was a nice place and it was Valentines Day.

The young couple have expensive taste.

 

[glenwolde]

My wife and I eat out frequently - at least twice a week. We are all aware of how high restaurant prices have gotten over the last 4 years but tonight there were 4 couples that went out to a fairly new restaurant (first time for us) and we each had two drinks over 2 1/2 hours. None of the drinks were exotic or super premium, just standard Jack Daniels, standard Bourbon, wine and beer. We got the bill and I was pretty shocked! They charge $22 bucks for a Bourbon or JD on the rocks! Add tax and tip to that and we are lookin at $28 bucks per drink! I can buy the bottle for that price!!! IMHO, paying for a bottle with one drink is just out of line and I thought it was abusive.

I understand the restaurants must make a profit to stay in business but this evening really turned me off! The food and service was fairly good, but not worth the $240 each couple ponied up. A good percentage of the bill was the drinks and they were not even a decent size pour!

So is that like a $200 tip? Geez.

 

[chief38]

When I was much younger I managed restaurants for a couple of years. Drinks are like 90% gross profit but that tends to help cover for the items that are less profitable and the waste. While restaurants try to minimize waste it's still inherent in such food-based operations. A restaurant like a fast food operation will turn maybe a 20% gross profit after all expenses...salaries...utilities...product...if well run and not all are. A traditional restaurant...if well run...will turn maybe a 28% gross profit before all expenses. A fast food operation requires selling by volume for cash flow and profits...a traditional sit down restaurant needs a higher markup on product for cash flow and profit.

Today...payroll is a huge part of running any food service...more than ever. Now the cost of product is giving that a run. Operating a restaurant is a very difficult thing to do in good economic times...terrible when things are bad...no matter how well it's run.

This is not a good time to be in the food service business...hard to find quality employees who want to work...product is more expensive than ever...and potential customers have less discretionary money to spend there. You can't force customers to come into your establishment...you have to make them want to.

I get that - like I said, we eat out a few times a week at "real restaurants" so I am familiar about prices of drinks. When we go to Capitol Grill or Chops they charge around $20 + tip and tax of course but they also give you "hell of a drink" to the point of only ordering a single one. That was not the case last evening. When they more than pay for the entire bottle with a single pour I have to say that is probably in the excessive and abusive category.

 

[NYlakesider]

As a person that at one time would have been considered a serious drinker, the prices of drinks today is not a bother.

I went down to about 9 alcohol drinks a year. A few family birthdays a anniversary To be honest I do not miss the hard stuff, but I do want good food at the restaurant!-

 

[326MOD10]

This post may have finally replaced the one about the pool cover being ripped and how big of a crisis that was as my favorite from you.

While I am sure you have earned and deserved all you have, and it seems you have a lot, why not just be thankful you get to enjoy the things you do?

I doubt the folks waiting on you could afford to go out and enjoy the same.

 

[zeke]

fortunately, or not, do not have to worry about prices at fancy restaurants. Since most the affordable restaurant's in town got consolidated 2 years ago, the only place am going for sit down food is the deli at the grocery store. Yesterday lucked into the brat and pop special for a buck. Corned beef hash/eggs/toast and coffee is under $8, and since there is no wait staff there is no tipping.

 

[Onomea]

We rarely dine out. But when we do, we splurge on the wine.

And dine out al fresco, too, I'll wager!

 

[chief38]

This post may have finally replaced the one about the pool cover being ripped and how big of a crisis that was as my favorite from you.

While I am sure you have earned and deserved all you have, and it seems you have a lot, why not just be thankful you get to enjoy the things you do?

I doubt the folks waiting on you could afford to go out and enjoy the same.

There were probably many at the same restaurant who are not able to easily afford the rip off drink prices - most customers don't usually look at the price before ordering a drink. Yes, I can afford it but that does not make the feeling of getting hosed easier to accept. I understand that restaurants have to make a profit and I also understand just how profitable liquor is, but c'mon..... that is abuse IMO! Kind of like when you go on eBay and find the least expensive price for a particular low cost item and then after clicking the "buy it now" button realizing freight is $199!

 

[tinkerer]

White Castle last night....20 sliders, 2 onion chips, 2 FF, 1 chix rings...No drinks...$38 with coupon...Fed 5 with some left over.

After burner free...

 

[Bill Bates]

Wow, just wow! I would have had a complete come apart if I get hit with a $20 bill for a shot of Jack. Thank you for the reminder of why the wife and I stopped going out for meals.

We use to eat more meals out than we ate at home. In 2008 we made a radical life style change. We decided to live like no other so we could someday live like no other. Yup, Dave Ramsey influenced us and now we've made it. Still, I brown bag it work days and I can't bring myself to eat dinner out.

Our weekly grocery budget is $100 with maybe another $150 per month for whiskey and wine.

Other than when traveling we haven't been in restaurant in years. Those rare trips I can't get it out of my head that I can cook a meal that would be better and at a small fraction of the cost.

Example, last night we had a couple over for dinner. I cooked two elk sirloins steaks. After the hunt and having the elk processed I figured what we got in meat averaged just less $9/lbs. That was figuring the cost of the tag, ammo gas plus processing. Last night elks steaks cost about $20. Toss in another 6 bucks for the salad, potatoes, sauce and a $20 bottle of wine our total meal cost was about $50. For us that was a splurge. I'll brag some, there isn't a restaurant within 50 miles that could match the meal. Plus, I really enjoy cooking.

 

[chief38]

White Castle last night....20 sliders, 2 onion chips, 2 FF, 1 chix rings...No drinks...$38 with coupon...Fed 5 with some left over.

After burner free...

White Castle can be used as a colonoscopy bowl prep - LOL!! The last time I ate White Castle was exactly 40 years ago - paid the price for it too with hours spent on the porcelain thrown!

 

[chief38]

I also take pride in my home made meals that the wife and I make. We usually have people over and so I usually make enough for more than just us. And...... NO CHARGE for the 9 year old Knob Creek - lol!!

 

[DWalt]

As wife and I usually imbibe nothing stronger than water when we go out to dine, high drink prices don’t affect me. But I have noticed that at the places we frequent, mixed drinks are now in the $15 range. No way, Jose.