The continuation of being dumped on in Restaurants needs to end.

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

Sadly because of cost, healthcare is becoming one of the fastest disappearing work benefits there is. Full coverage used to be a gimmie. Many companies, (even the larger one's), are either doing away with it entirely, or else charging large payroll deductions to help support it.

Just after I retired from the company I was working for back in 2014, they ended their full coverage, in favor of a, "healthcare savings account" that offered very minimal coverage.

This is only going to get worse as time marches on, until the government takes over the entire healthcare market..... And good luck with that.

***********************This is NOT POLITICAL***********PLEASE lets not make it into something else other than words************
I never forgot the quote from a very nice POTUS who (unfortunately like most of them the last few decades) are equally LOVED and HATED. This sadly shows the almost right down the middle SPLIT in the feelings of Americans these days..... So to the quote. Always thought while it is certainly clever it is SPOT ON 100% TRUE. Quote= The most horrifiying comment, likely heard upon answering your door has to be: "Hello, I am from the US Government!" YIKES.....
I get it and of course YIKES because I can not name one single thing the US government has got its paws into for the past 50-70 years that has been improved. I HOPE I am wrong and then maybe some of us BITOG folks can point out what the things are they have not screwed up.

 

[earlyre]

Locally owned chain (about 5 locations) prides themselves on making food fresh to order...used to have the best fried tenderloin sandwiches in town, and a top 3 Burger.
their tenderloin is now about half the size it was, for a higher price, and the Burgers, went from a fresh made patty, to a clearly commercially made preformed frozen patty... distinctive shape, i can almost tell you what brand...
should have known this would happen when a few years back they switched from Frozen Crinkle cut fries, to hand cut, freshly made fries. which were MILES better.
cut to 2 months down the road.."by popular demand, our signature crinkle cut fries are back!"... uh huh...the others were just too expensive...

 

[wpod]

Don't go to restaurants.

 

[wander2039]

We haven't had any issues for a while with restaurants here in KC. But we don't go to alot of chains. Good experiences at Freddy's, Joy Wok and Kona grill, those are just recents. We did have a few issues when the kids were younger, waiters always thought we'd stiff them on tips. We do pretty good and typically tip pretty good even at buffets. Both of us have been on the other end with lower paying jobs.

 

[dogememe]

It's sad. A family friend with $$$$$$$$ money tried to get into the restaurant business. First one in SF then one in Sonoma County somewhere. Both ended up failing. Margins are super tight and expenses are insane. And that was 5-10 years ago. I'm sure it's even more difficult now.

Yes eating out is a rip off... but anyone who thinks the owners of most restaurants are getting rich needs a reality check. Sure, there is money to be made, and it can be profitable, but the average locally owned restaurant or franchise is not raking in the millions.

That said, I'm sorry you had an unpleasant experience. I too, have had subpar experiences eating out (something I do a lot as cooking doesn't seem to be my forte) and it's always disappointing especially given the cost.

 

[billt460]

***********************This is NOT POLITICAL***********PLEASE lets not make it into something else other than words************

I have to agree that it is NOT political. Not in the least. It's a simple fact, based on the reality that there has not been one single thing the government has taken over from the private sector, that has been made better, and / or more cost effective in the process.

 

[billt460]

I'm out of town for a conference, and ran into a new one for me. A $100 guaranteed minimum, just to make a reservation at a restaurant.

On a MONDAY NIGHT? Hard pass. I'm in an area with a population of less than 400,000... not New York, LA or Chicago.

What astonishes me is not the amount, (in this case $100 for a simple reservation), but rather the fact people will actually pay it. Once again it becomes more of a reality that it is becoming easier to separate people from their money.

 

[D60]

The main thing in this thread that keeps throwing me is people referring to fast food as a "restaurant"

If I ate fast food I wouldn't expect much of anything, just like I never expect to get help in a Home Depot

 

[thastinger]

The main thing in this thread that keeps throwing me is people referring to fast food as a "restaurant"

If I ate fast food I wouldn't expect much of anything, just like I never expect to get help in a Home Depot

Yeah, both my local Lowes & Home Depot are full of staff that apparently just stock shelves(this is in the city), but the Lowes & HD that are 75 miles away(in the relative country) both have employees that will walk up to you and ASK YOU if you need any help today.

 

[John105]

We went to a Korean BBQ place called K Pot. I think it’s a chain. It’s not cheap as it was $96 for 2 adults and a 10 yo. But everything was top notch. From the food to the service.

The 3 of us went to IHOP before it closed and was $45. I remember thinking wow, people here are getting taken advantage of. The place is now oob. Point being I’d rather take the $46 to be spent at IHOP, save it, skip going out, now go to the first place and spend double. Margins cost < marginal benefit.

We’ve been able to find some non chain places with 2018 pricing and good service. All I can say is using Yelp, the odds are better.

Confirmed it’s a chain

Locations - KPOT

* COMING SOON

thekpot.com

 

[Eddie]

I don't seem to have the ops problem in Cape Coral FL.

 

[Rmay635703]

I have to agree that it is NOT political. Not in the least. It's a simple fact, based on the reality that there has not been one single thing the government has taken over from the private sector, that has been made better, and / or more cost effective in the process.

I wouldn’t know, I was uninsurable until Obamacare . So Never had insurance the first 32 years of my life because they wouldnt sell a policy if I wanted it.
I still don’t use it but it’s nice that I can get insurance if I want it as compared to being uninsurable.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

I stated I rarely eat out any places away from home. When/If I do it is mostly locally owned/known places near me.
We have 2-3 really great family owned places. Guess you can call them "country kitchens/dinners" that serve the same
Mon-Fri lunch specials and then they have really large sandwich / salad menus. I have a weakness for a couple things
even though I have dropped 45 pounds since end of Novemeber. I am nuts about pizza and good old fashioned hamburgers
with sweet tea and soda. I have cut out as much sugar as posible and the pounds are falling off. We do have one franchise style
hamburger joint that have popped up around here the last several years I am hooked on. Five Guys Burgers with real "meat" burgers and the absolutely best fresh cut fries I know of. I do the burgers maybe once every 2-3 months and avoid the fries mostly as they are simply
way too good! I have learned CONTROL!

 

[vavavroom]

I know one small-town restaurant that was faced with a 300% rent increase early during the pandemic. A common problem. They had to relocate to their old location a few houses down the street but they still had to make cuts. Less staff, fewer menu items. They even removed their very popular baked mac and cheese because of the low profit margin. Now it's tiny fancy dishes and craft beer. Too bad.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

Got an old school chum coming over for lunch tomorrow. We went to school together from 2nd grade to 12th. Stayed in touch ever since. We raised sons together, took them hunting and fishing, NASCAR races, drags, pro sporting events etc.... So the kids all grown and we both living the empty nest in our late 60s. Both retired, yet my wife wont so she works Mon-Fri teaching school. He is divorced for ten / eleven years but I am on the leash LoL , been happily married to same woman who takes very good care of me now going on 46 years. He comes by or I visit him since we live a mere 7-8 mi apart. Depends on our lunch choices on who goes where, what direction or place we doing lunch at. We also do some Tv / movies and listen to our old classic music together from time to time. Simply two old farts
that are just about aging like fine wines!
Tomorrow is a menu (near my house) neither one of us can pass up at one of the local diners I mentioned earlier. They serve the most amazing simple Thursday lunch special. It is called Hamburger steak, with brown gravy over it and mashed home made potatoes / carrots on side and a nice and sweet piece of home-made bread n butter. The so called hamburger steak is actually a mini meat loaf so tender and tasty it is to fight over. Lots o times we option on one of the really popular seafood houses in area but its very hard to pass up that Thursday Lunch special for anything else. Honestly do not think we ever have passed it for something else! Probably did not mention they serve you so much we often have to make two meals out of it. Getting hungry already!

 

[researcher]

Got an old school chum coming over for lunch tomorrow. We went to school together from 2nd grade to 12th. Stayed in touch ever since. We raised sons togeher, took them hunting and fishing together, NASCAR races, drags, pro sporting events etc.... So the kids all grown and we both living the empty nest in our late 60s. Both retired, yet my wife wont so she works Mon-Fri teaching school. He is divorced for ten / eleven years but I am on the leash LoL , been happily married to same woman who takes very good care of me now going on 46 years. He comes by or I visit him since we live a mere 7-8 mi apart. Depends on our lunch choices on who goes where, what direction or place we doing lunch at. We also do some Tv / movies and listen to our old classic music together from time to time. Simply two old farts
that are just about aging like fine wines!
Tomorrow is a menu (near my house) neither one of us can pass up at one of the local diners I mentioned earlier. They serve the most amazing simple Thursday lunch special. It is called Hamburger steak, with brown gravy over it and mashed home made potatoes / carrots on side and a nice and sweet piece of home-made bread n butter. The so called hamburger steak is actually a mini meat loaf so tender and tasty it is to fight over. Lots o times we option on one of the really popular seafood houses in area but its very hard to pass up that Thursday Lunch special for anything else. Honestly do not think we ever have passed it for something else! Probably did not mention they serve you so much we often have to make two meals out of it. Getting hungry already!

Now you're just making me hungry!!! That sounds awesome!

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

In the on going saga of places to eat (or NOT!)
Ok, this one makes me fear for the entire western world! Good thing some of these workers do not work with dangerous chemicals or
poison products etc.....
Wife goes to a place we MIGHT hit about three times a year. Today she went to McDonalds to get one item for me. She orders a double cheeseburger "plain" and absolutley dumbfounds the worker! "Duh? What you mean? Plain? I wonder now if she meant PLANE! LoL
So, the wife tells her. "ok, please let me have one double cheeseburger with only the meat and the cheese on it? No condiments please." Just thinking now what that young girl may have thought "condiments" is!? YIKES.
So, wife decides after the puzzled remarks from the girls taking the orders to check her order bag before she leaves.
Ta da! Sure enough. She had a bag with just two meat patties with cheese on them! So she asked at the window. "Can I have the buns
that normally go with hamburgers please?" She said the girl at the window could not even help bursting out laughing when she looked
in that bag.

 

[andrew_j]

I have to agree that it is NOT political. Not in the least. It's a simple fact, based on the reality that there has not been one single thing the government has taken over from the private sector, that has been made better, and / or more cost effective in the process.

You worked for a cruddy company who converted their plan.

 

[andrew_j]

I used to care about prices and worry about it. However finally I just want to enjoy life so a very occasional $10-$12 draft beer and $25 - $40 meal won’t kill me personally.

 

[JHZR2]

Want to have better restaurants, the solution is simple. Bring free and open markets to healthcare.

Many wonderful individuals would live to run a independent restaurant, but the non competitive nature of healthcare and health insurance makes leaving a job and operating a restaurant prohibited to many who would love nothing better than operating a restaurant.

True. For the cost, and the level of service, the value proposition isn’t there. But you need it. It’s kind of like those gas stations on the toll roads. You’re going to pay.

But that goes way beyond just restaurants. It’s one industry lining their pockets at the expense of another. and the supply is manipulated.

Thing is, it’s not just medical. It’s everything. The cost of the materials has gone up… plus energy, benefits, rent, taxes, etc. in theory tbh at gets pushed to the consumer, but the consumer was at a breaking point.

I’m lucky to live in a very popular restaurant town that is also byob. So the proprietors have learned to be reasonably successful without reliance on liquor, and since there is a pretty significant expectation for quality, anyplace that doesn’t provide it is out pretty quick, with multiple others waiting to move in. That has stood the test of pandemics and crashes. Prices go up, sure, but not as bad as did expect for nicer food.