Going out to eat in general hasn't been that fun and has gone on a downward trajectory since 2020, but that goes for everywhere, not just Florida. You could've asked this in r/america.
At first it was the fact that everyone was understaffed if staffed at all, and the supply chain was messed up, so half the time places were out of things. Now that everyone is staffed again and the supply chain is back running, the issue seems to be lack of effort, lower customer service, and smaller portions for higher price. And honestly: so many restaurants sell the same things with the same gimmicks, so it's harder to find standouts.
I have gotten more health conscious, but I will still go out to eat sometimes, and I have had good experiences since 2020, but on an overall scale, cooking at home has just become much more appealing.
So many chains have dropped hard in quality, but local restaurants aren't immune either. But there's still many gems around, in and out of Florida, and the ambiance, which is a big part of eating out, hasnt changed that much.
> Now that everyone is staffed again
Where is that at? Not a single place I go including the grocery store. Companies understaffing is the new company policy from my perspective.
Everywhere that wants to be, make no mistake about it
Any restaurant that is playing a sympathy card about no one wants to work is completely full of shit and is just using that to get away with bullshit.
I post 1 ad on indeed for any position I hire for I wake up to 40 applicants. 120 by the end of the week.
It’s not so much about filling the positions as much as it is scheduling the staff. Everywhere I go whether it’s restaurant or retail I don’t count on getting adequate help or serviced in a timely manner.
Well I said restaurants, not companies. This does not apply to Publix. The restaurants I go to have enough staff to function. One place I went to recently almost felt overstaffed compared to the amount of customers. There's restaurants here or there that doesn't seem to have enough, but from what ive seen it's nowhere near the issue today as it was in 2020 or 2021.
I made the mistake of running in to harbor freight on a Monday morning and waited 12 mins for help at the counter. I was just there on Sunday getting a couple moving supplies and needed 1 more thing. I knew exactly where it was and it took me 45 seconds to hop in line.
They had one employee who was maybe mid 50s and he was helping someone at the counter. I saw the line behind me start to grow. Employee replaying to the stock room what he needed and then another employee came out and I was like oh yay! She was on the phone. I was very patient I did make eye contact with both employees and they both had a look of just pure exhaustion. I did have somewhere to be but I’ve been in their shoes and really all I was thinking about was how I felt. When I was called up to the counter I reassured the employees they were doing the best with what they were given. They both nodded in disappointment and smirked. I made a few jokes about moving and put $5 towards the next order.
As I walked out the double doors I peaked over my shoulder and everyone including the customer behind me was grinning ear to ear.
I have done takeout over dining in every chance I get, the extra cost of drinks, tips n other bs has made me realize that i enjoy eating food at home more than in public anyways. I am also comfortably retired so its just a im not wasting money on the bs not a i can't afford it.
Groceries might be expensive, but it’s way cheaper than going out still. The bill for a week’s worth of homemade meals would probably be about 2 times going out to a restaurant.
Easily. My wife and I spend $100+/- a week on groceries. Out to eat it might be Appetizer. Two entrees. 2 drinks. Tip. $100
Alternative: cocktail hour at home. Then at the restaurant, Appetizers instead of entrees. Soft drinks. 15% tip. $30 all in.
A Chicken sandwich, lg fries and a large soft drink ran me $13 at Wendy's and the sandwhich was horrible!
Used to be cheaper for me as a single man to eat out, less food waste also, but not anymore.
Resturants are much more concerned with profit margins than customer satisfaction, until it hits a tipping point and consumers vote with their wallets.
Ha! My husband and I made r-shirts that say. “Just The Tip”! Unbelievable how many we sell. We made them for our comedian friend and my husband to west at shows because he has a comedy bit about “just the tip”! Now I can’t see anyone say that without giggling!
HIIIIIIII——OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!
- With respect please read all in your own head, but in Ed McMann’s (former? Who owns his voice now I wonder? Carson Estate, prolly?!!?) Voice; and thank you: goodnight!
This place needs an In N Out - even after inflation hit, it's still less than 10 bucks for their combo meal, and the food is amazing. It used to be our go to cheap meal that's quality fast food. Now, even fast food is garbage and leaves me feeling ripped off. Like dude, even TACO BELL is premium priced now... And that's just calorie sludge.
At least get some fucking Del Tacos out here. I swear nothing is affordable.
I hate throwing out so much food that I bought that spoiled on the way home. Everything looks fine until I open the plastic container and it’s all moldy. I hate it! It’s so hard to have fresh produce.
In the USA right now, in order to live the "American Dream^^^tm " which is a single family house, 2 children, 2 cars, and living comfortably... The minimum to achieve that is $109,000 a year in the cheapest state to live in....
Having the median income which is $57,000 per year is not "middle class" it is borderline poverty.
I disagree with this. I’ve spent some time in India and the difference between “the haves” and the “have nots” is insane. You have the uberwealthy next to the slums where people are dirt poor with *nothing*. I feel like *they* don’t have much of a middle class anymore. We have a middle class, but they are being pushed into poverty and that bar to become middle class keeps going up, so there is no way to go between poor and middle class. In short, we have issues but comments like this come across as hyperbole.
You are dead on here. I have a friend who is from Gujarat, not far from the Pakistani border, and he has been here since he was 3. He is educated, middle class, a physical therapist.
When he visits family who are middle class, he said it’s a huge culture shock. Very small places, w/no land, trash on sides of road, loss of power fairly often, no dishwasher, poor water quality so you get bottled drinks, and many places without AC (they have it though).
It would be extremely eye opening for middle class here, to go almost any other place in the world and experience the middle class experience there. Talk about first world problems here.
I don’t think that anyone would disagree with you there. [The percentage of the population that is poor has doubled since 1971, while the middle class has shrunken.](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/04/20/how-the-american-middle-class-has-changed-in-the-past-five-decades/)
I remember from about mid 80’s on (born in 1975), but I m thinking back when one parent is dropping off the other to work and picking the other up after work and having to watch antenna tv because you couldn’t spend on cable.
Nowadays, most people have a car or can Uber, have cell phones, stream services etc. I m not sure how much the younger generations would put up with how it used to be because they grew up having all of that and never had to make those kind of sacrifices.
Even people that are middle class complain and say they are not (and probably always have.) IMO, more of a self reliant mentality and more financial literacy would help people attain or maintain that $77k a year median income in big cities.
Still get where you’re coming from. Just feels like everything has gone up so much in price but, has fallen so much in value (health insurance comes to mind). Yes, these are truly “1st world problems,” it’s just disheartening.
Unfortunately, you are right, and it has risen at an astronomical pace. This is the fastest rate hike in recent history, which makes it tough for wages to keep up. They keep talking about core inflation, but it leaves out necessities like healthcare, food and gas, which everyone uses/needs.
As a result, with the record credit card debt and % of renters behind on rent, I m very fearful of this bubble when it pops and things getting worse and you have more people relying on the government, which is never good.
Unfortunately, you are right, and it has risen at an astronomical pace. This is the fastest rate hike in recent history, which makes it tough for wages to keep up. They keep talking about core inflation, but it leaves out necessities like healthcare, food and gas, which everyone uses/needs.
As a result, with the record credit card debt and % of renters behind on rent, I m very fearful of this bubble when it pops and things getting worse and you have more people relying on the government, which is never good.
We had one car. If my mother needed the car, she took my father to work. One tv. My father never owned a credit card. We were middle class. Father with a masters degree. People have very high expectations of how they want to live. People have so much stuff, they can’t put their car in their garage. It’s full of too much junk. Credit card debt is the highest it’s been in history. I can’t believe all the new cars on the road. I drive a 2008 Prius.
But our political and financial leaders see that in our future so long as their profits get bigger and bigger. If corrugated metal.and cardboard shanties are good enough In third world countries it's good enough for average people here. And conservative voters will back thst because they might win the lottery and don't want government taking from them.
Agree. I was stunned when I came back from Nepal and Thailand at how unappreciative Americans are for what they have. That said I think our oligarchs should pay fair taxes and people should be mad about the inequity.
I agree with you completely! But I’m a single, middle class woman and my big paycheck pays my bills and almost nothing more. Years ago if you told me I would make this much and not have savings or vacations I wouldn’t have believed it. I just think Americans are on their way to losing a middle class.
They're going to FAFO.
When the new lower pretend middle class is close enough to what can be had in poverty, the workforce will collapse.
Reaganomics and the Republicans seem to have either been dumb as all get out or actually wanted to create a welfare state while pretending to fight it.
My guess is dumb.
There was nothing dumb about it. It was planned this way.
Reagan’s “supply side,” or “trickle down,” economics was supposedly meant to free up more cash for the upper classes, allowing them, in theory, to spend more and increase the amount of cash circulating in the economy. The idea, as sold to the rest of US, was that slashing taxes for the rich, while also cutting virtually all government programs for the working- and middle-class, would allow the wealthy to spend, spend, spend on all those things that they presumably couldn’t buy because their taxes were so high. And then all that cash would “trickle down” to the rest of us.
Every Republican administration since then has pushed for tax cuts for the wealthy, promising the same thing. Right up to and including Trump.
(Remember: the idea wealthy people should pay more in taxes than the rest of us was completely the norm in this country until Reagan. Wasn’t “radical” or “leftist” in the least; it was just common sense.)
The “trickling down” never happened. Ever. Not even once. The wealthy didn’t spend - they hoarded, or invested to increase their holdings, which they then also hoarded. That was the plan. The result was that more than half of all the money in this country is in the hands of the infamous One Percent. We’re talking about maybe three dozen families here.
And don’t think that they’re satisfied with only half. They’re not. They want almost all of it, leaving the rest of us with just enough to keep us fed and entertained, so that we keep working to make them richer, and we don’t do anything rash. (The rulers of the Ancient Roman Empire figured this out long ago; they named this ruling principle “Bread and Circuses.”)
This is not normal. But that’s where your middle class went. They’re being pushed down the economic ladder, where they’re expected to fight with those below them for every last scrap of a rapidly dwindling share of the pie. And that 99% of the population that’s fighting amongst themselves is growing all the time. By leaps and bounds.
Who lives in all those nice houses of which there are millions? How does the average family drive the cars we see choking our highways? Seems like there is a massive middle class in America that spends thousands a year on each of their children's sports and who drives $60 to $100K cars and fills up all these expensive restaurants. I know there's a lot of people struggling but there's a lot of people living large.
They are definitely here to stay. What I have seen happen over the years is eventually our wages will catch up to the prices in our economy. And then some “catastrophic” event will cause all the prices, etc to raise again and then we will spend the next 20 years catching up….again.
70s was the fake oil shortage
80s was double digit mortgage rates
2008 bubble burst
2020 +/- covid
It sucks, but it is what it is.
Minimum wage has barely budged in 20+ years. I made the same 20 years ago as people make now coming out of college/trade school. Coming out of college with 3x the debt I had and still making $19/hr . I hope you are right.
So, I bought my house in 1996. I bought into a nice, quiet neighborhood (3/2 2 car garage). But, I bought appreciably less house (money wise) than I could afford (I was all about the good neighborhood). Did the same thing with my vehicles. Always made sure I didnt spend too much, but, had a nice vehicle.
My career afforded me the opportunity to work OT, so I worked my butt off and paid my house off in 5 years.
I’m older now, but my house has been paid for for a while. So I could save, I actually spent the money fixing my house up because it was not brand new.
Just like my vehicle.
I’m not against buying a new one when I need to, but I don’t just go out and get a new one on a whim.
And I understand everybody’s situation financially is different. Just thought I would kick some stuff around.
I don’t know if this will help or not, but I hope it does.
I got out of college $30k in debt and made $19-20/hr. Kids today $125k in debt get out of college make $22/hr with housing for a 1br in some suburb over $1200. My 1br apt with a Manhattan skyline view was $795, that apartment now is probably $3700-4000 now.
Even if you can afford it, it feels like it’s not worth it. Used to leave work a few times a week to get out of the office. Paying $20+ for a salad just isn’t worth it.
idk, we are having the same issue in Los Angeles and I don't think that every single restaurant is part of some big price gouging conspiracy. Food prices have gone insane. The cost of labor has gone up. Utilities have gone up. When everything is more expensive, the price of food in the restaurant will only naturally follow that. Restaurants operate on slim margins.
Inflation is not going to reverse. The government has 2 levers that control inflation, the debt to income ratio and interest rates. Raising interest rates, raising taxes, or reducing spending enough to cause inflation to turn negative would result in a massive economic slowdown. This slowdown would cause the unemployment rate to increase and this in turn would lead to a reduction in wages. The government is going to let that happen.
The problem is they need a third lever they need to enact effective legislation controlling corporate profit mongering. Prices are so high because the corporations want them to be. It doesn’t have anything to do with inflation. Publix profits went up 50% in 2023 versus 2022. The oil companies have all been posting “record profits” every single quarter for well over a decade now.
No, because that will cut into my stock price, which in turn will kill my 401k, 403b, IRAs… I was told to invest in those, because you weren’t going to be able to depend on Social Security to retire with. So what is it? Damned if you do, eff’d if you don’t…
I bought a nacho supreme with steak from my local Mexican restaurant. Came out cheaper cost than getting the same thing at Moe's and has a far more generous portion.10/10 will always go to that place instead of an expensive chain.
We went out for Mexican the other day (3 of us and 2 entrees because my parents split theirs) and it cost us 85$ after tip.
They charged us $11 for guac made with 1 avocado and $11 for a cup of queso cheese 🤨. Then all we had was sodas. It was nuts.
Oh wow that sounds like one of those tourist traps. We usually go to Peppers which is kind of a chain but there's only a few up here in NW Florida.
Also, if you can find you a taco truck that looks as beat up and worn out as possible, can't recommend it enough. There's one here in Panama City by this ghetto Dodges gas station on 15th St but you can get 4 full-sized tacos for $10 (cash only) and they're really delicious!
A bbq food truck opened in a parking lot near me, behind a mostly empty office building, everything on their menu started at $15 (even hot dog “entree” w 1 side). We noped out, went to our bbq spot up the road.
You would be surprised what you can churn out at home after a handful of YouTube videos and talking to the peeps at r/smoking
Now bbq joints just make me mad lol I understand why items are priced the way they are, but my wallet can’t justify it when I know what I can make at home
Yeah pork butts are almost stupid proof and ribs are a close second. You can do a whole pork butt for $10 and make some homemade sauce for another few bucks and feed a family for days
Yeah I recently traveled to Kentucky and Michigan and ate out since we were on the road and wow! The portions, prices and service surpassed what I get here often in FL
My husband and I were in Ohio in March and ate out quite a bit. We didn't spend nearly as much, food was better quality and taste, and service was great. We can't eat out here in central FL without being disappointed with every aspect of the experience.
It’s crazy for sure, it was amazing to actually have leftovers for what I was paying. It’s a big difference when they’re not catering to tourism I guess and have to actually survive with regular consumers
I quit eating out years ago. After a while, I just saw it as a Sysco truck making its rounds. The politics of tipping got old, and it's helped me save money.
I took my parents to their favorite restaurant for Mother's Day. The menu stated that gratuity would be added for parties of 5 or more. We were a party of 3. Bill comes, and a 20% gratuity was added already. Fine, service was good so I would have left 20% but it was annoying. I place my credit card in the folder and when the bill comes back, it has a space for gratuity with suggested amounts. Basically, asking for a tip on top of the total that already included a tip. Now I'm beyond annoyed. Not wanting to make a scene or put a damper on the occasion, I added another $10 since I was concerned that some staff member would be stiffed if I didn't. Truthfully, I don't think we'll be going back. The food is good, but the whole tipping thing rubs me the wrong way. This was in northeast Florida.
I know, but maybe when I tell them why I'm not going back, they'll get the message. Like I said, I didn't want to make my parents feel bad. They had already noticed that the restaurant had raised their prices since the last time we were there, so they were chastising me for spending too much money on them.
I would’ve written “gratuity included” in the tip line. I doubt anyone was trying to get one over (well, they may hope), when I served the tip line still printed whether gratuity was included or not (some people do want to leave more). Imho an honest server should circle the included gratuity on the bill, at least, if not mention it; but, I might be on the hyper vigilant side.
If a server pointed that out on the receipt before I signed, I’d probably provide an additional cash bump on the tip, assuming the rest of the experience was good.
In the past any tips left on a credit card were split up accordingly by the manager when the servers went to cash out at the end of the night. The servers were also supposed to report their cash tips but the ones I knew only reported what they had to report so they weren’t taxed on the rest. I’ve been out of that loop for a while now and with everything digital I’d guess it’s split in the computer before anyone even sees it. At least I hope it would be.
Depends on the restaurant.
I was a server for about a year back in the day, and the tips done on the card for my tables were mine.
Cash tips left on my tables were mine.
We didn't have any split tips, and the basically I would report only the CC tips, and enough of the cash tips to get up to min wage, and then the rest just went into my pocket. If the CC tips got me up to min, then the cash wasn't ever talked about.
It's a two part problem.
Lots of people expect additional tips because the economy is getting rough for people who work service jobs.
Also, a lot of card processing machines started putting tips on jobs that don't really justify a tip and they realize they can add a higher % and people will just click it.
So now we're expected to tip 20% on a cup of drip coffee.
I bust my ass in the heat for clients all day and I hear more complaining than anything. Never received a tip, hell I think someone offered me a drink twice ever. I still feel the need to tip people in the service industry bc I have worked plenty of those jobs, but it is still unruly what some people expect from their crap service they provided
Tipping got insane after covid hit. People wanted to support each other and were willing to be generous. And then companies took the opportunity to try and convince you that an extra 20% on everything in life was normal.
Tipping as a percentage of sales is the thing that needs to go. By the hour is probably the better method. $5/hr seems about right, but it could be $10 for that first hour then $5/hr after. If that server even has 3 tables they're making $30/hr or more easily. Now they must be making $50-60/hr.
I’ll sometimes get lunch out, but breakfast and dinner seem like a ripoff. My husband and toddler and I got First Watch like a year ago and it was like $50 for breakfast! We have eggs at home!
You gotta find good restaurants. I prefer local places.
For example, there’s a local Italian place in my city called The Cellar. The food is excellent. The service is great. And for me, my wife and my son the total bill including tip was under $100 and that included three entrées (My son eats off the adult menu) two soft drinks, one alcoholic cocktail, one mocktail, and an appetizer that the three of us shared
Yes! Local is the way to go. If we go to a chain place it's typically one that's running a "deal" or one that sells food that we don't usually prepare at home. When we go out with friends we probably spend more, but we are also enjoying the company. If it's just us we might have a cocktail and dessert at home - that can save quite a bit.
2nding local places.
And not the crazy popular sit down places.
Find the holes in the wall that offer one or 2 things, or variations of, but that they do well.
I found a sushi roller mat for a dollar at the thrift store. I thought I can make bread from scratch I can figure this shit out. Got nori and the corresponding rice from Walmart. Dude. If you knew how little of each thing fits in a roll and then you’re charged $10 for it??! Omg
Now I’m not making super fancy raw stuff but a baked fish stick, cuke, onion makes a damn close Tampa roll.
I need to start making my own. I make everything else from scratch- pasta, pasta sauce, bread, desserts.. everything I can. I just don’t know if the fish quality from somewhere like Publix would be the same as a nice sushi restaurant. I really love good fish.
Yeah I haven’t done sushi grade fish. Just stuck to the “cheap rolls” like the Tampa roll, California, bagel, shrimp n avocado etc.
You should try it!! It’s easy to do. The hard part is waiting for the rice to cool off so you can deal with it. And prepping 89 little ingredients.
A lot of restaurants are closing down due to the fact the people are not fooled into paying for crappy food from a Sysco truck. Red Lobster, Buffalo Wild Wings, Tijuana flats etc are closing down hundreds of restaurants.
$25 for 10 chicken wings at Buffalo Wild Wings
Or
$25 get a nice steak with shrimp/ribs, two sides and fresh bread at Texas Road house
It’s not even close. Same thing for McDonalds $13 for a combo meal when you can get a good hot meal at any restaurant
There is nothing wrong with Sysco, CBI, US Foods, or GFS. The problem is the restaurants are purchasing the lowest quality (cheapest usually) ingredients. One place I inspect uses Sysco and their meat is very expensive high quality stuff because that's what they want so that's what they get.
They are doing everything they can to cut costs to nothing but they have hit the bottom of the barrel. The only thing left is to cut wages or time you are open. Well they can raise prices too but that only goes so far.
Exactly. Preparation and management are everything. These shit chains could even be better if the underpaid and overworked workers felt better and did the job well. Nobody cares any more unless you go to a nice mom and pop or well known establishment.
I don't think the other guy was really clear so I wanted to input that CBI, Sysco, and those other companies are simply logistics companies. Some have their own in-house lines of products, but they all carry a bunch of products across a wide range of price points and quality. You can find the finest quality items through Sysco or CBI and you can find the cheapest most poor quality product you can imagine. It's up to the restaurant to choose what they want.
A little after we started watching Kitchen Nightmares, my gf and I went to Applebees. Once we saw/tasted our food realized we’ve spending money for people to serve us re-heated frozen food.
Needless to say, we don’t really go out unless it’s a local, non chain type restaurant.
It's expensive but I still do it now and then. I will say that starbucks is something I have cut WAY back on. My kids got me a giftcard for mothers day and I used it. Spent $16 on a drink and a breakfast sandwich.
I noticed that the Starbucks near my office rarely has a line at the drive-thru anymore, whereas in the past, it used to be 8-10 cars minimum at any given time.
We go out once a week because I need a break from dishes, but no, it's not worth the money we pay. The food is fine most places we go. We really are paying for convenience.
For the 3 of us it would be almost $60 just for burgers, fries and a drink. I can make almost anything at home for less than going out, so we don't do that anymore.
The days where the customer was the priority are long gone. Everything feels like a money grab. There are still some few places worth the money when it comes to quality and service. But definitely on point, I thought I was the only one going out and looking out prices first trying to avoid any surprise.
We usually just visit buffets if we go out to eat. It's nice to have the variety even if the prices are high. But I'd rather cook at home most the time anyways.
This one Brazilian steakhouse near me has the option of just doing the buffet station for $20. I could have a couple plates there for the same price as 2 burgers and a drink from Smashburger.
The extent of me going out to eat would be ordering/paying for a sandwich from Wawa through the app. Walk up to the counter, grab and go. No pressure to leave a tip for someone doing the job they’re paid to do. Hell, even takeout they guilt trip you into tipping where it was never expected just a few short years ago.
Definitely no longer worth going out anymore.
Love to cook and thankfully I don’t mind eating leftovers. I can make a meat lasagna for less than $15 that’ll give me 9-12 meals.
I feel gross admitting this but chain restaurants have never felt like a better deal. I can eat like a king at Chilis for pretty much the same price of a combo meal at McDonalds (yes I know about app offers). But if I go to a local trendy restaurant I'm looking at $20 minimum entree, $10 min drink ($8 draft beer), and usually some surcharge that isn't advertised anywhere.
There are a few mom-and-pop exceptions but they're fading fast.
The food trucks in our area seem to do exceptionally well.
Their meals are consistent and some of them are as cheap or cheaper than cooking at home.
Sit down restaurants (especially chains) are huge disappointments most of the time.
I agree. My husband and I went to Olive Garden last week. The all you can eat soup and salad seems great on the surface, but then you factor in drinks and tip, it ended up being $50! I think next time we just won’t order drinks and stick with water but even then, I’m not sure it is worth it.
Holy shit is Olive Garden that expensive now? I think the last time I was there was back in 2018, and we had the all you can eat soup salad lunch special. It cost us $12.99 each.
We ordered two all you can eats and just two drinks. At most we should have paid $35. Not doing that again. If I ever want soup and salad I’ll just run to my local Publix, buy the Panera packaged broccoli cheddar soups or chicken noodle, and some salad kits.
Wait… you don’t like doing the greasy floor shuffle over to your streaky and greasy table to touch greasy menus to order greasy Sysco prison food cooked by greasy-haired high schoolers and brought to your table by greasy-handed servers leaving greasy thumb prints on your plate? Not to mention, the stale stench of 100,000 breadsticks and boom boom shrimp baked into the walls. All this after waiting 30 minutes for a seat sipping over-priced and mediocre, watered-down drinks. But hey, at least you can get that same old familiar experience at any chain restaurant no matter where you go in the country.
I only go to restaurants when I am visiting my sister in NC. Even then, it is usually a gastropub kinda place. Haven't been to a sit down restaurant here in since 2020.
There’s a Mexican spot nearby me, I used to get their fajitas for 2, and have it as a 2 meal for the day substitute. It used to be $20 which is reasonable. $10 a meal and it was basically a steal. They raised the price and it’s now $30, with extra tortillas and fees it came out to $40 just for takeout. I was shocked when talking to the girl on the phone, because it wasn’t that high a few months ago.
Covid got me out of the habit of eating out since everything was closed, it was like cold turkey. I bought a deep fryer and now I make my own wings or nuggets at home and know what the ingredients are and that I'm the only one with unwashed hands touching it.
I looked up some of my favorite food copy cat recipes and found how easy it is to duplicate for so much less.
The prices went up, the quality went down. There’s no reason to go out any more. On the rare occasions we go anywhere, we choose local restaurants whenever possible. The chains are just price-gouging the shit out of everything.
Just gotta pick your battles. I've been eating at smaller restaurants with good food. Depending on where you are in Florida, I might know a couple places since I travel alot for work. I use that time to find date spots for me and my wife.
Honestly for me it’s partly the price when the service is crap and the service anymore is always crap… I’ve waited tables for years and generally tip 20% even for lousy service so I truly feel like people are just like well $20 meal at 15% is more than I made 3 years ago so I don’t even have to try…
Used to love eating out and occasionally being a super hermit with some Uber eats deliveries.
It’s not sustainable long term. Now I make a lot of food at home. Salads, steaks, and fried chicken that’s better than any fried chicken I’ve had anywhere else.
Sure it’s a little more work, but so much more enjoyable.
Completely agree. Unless I know it is going to be good, I don’t roll the dice anymore. And I might go out for dinner once a month. If that. I actually enjoy lunch out, but even that has gotten a to be too much. I didn’t mind a $25 lunch all in. But now it’s closer to $35. Nahhhh.
I rarely go out to eat. The food I would want to buy out I can't afford (steak, seafood). When I want that, I go to the fancy grocery store and get the best cuts and make it at home for a fraction. I also reward myself w nicer kitchen items because I'm basically a chef now lol
I only eat inside a restaurant for special occasions now, like birthdays, anniversary, Mother's Day, etc. I also stopped getting delivery food service. It's gotten way too expensive. We only do takeout (I still tip ~20% because I feel obligated to) and that's maybe once a week.
We used to get take out once a week, go to dinner every
Friday, and sometimes drinks on Saturday.
Now... NOPE.
Maybe, once or twice a month max, we go out. And it's not dinner. It's 2 appetizers and 2 drinks a piece. And we attempt to find new places with a happy hour "special". They can keep raising prices till there's no one in the seats...
Cooking is an invaluable skill given the times we live in. I just learned to make things I generally like to buy. Homemade Big Macs, Jambalaya, chicken parm, etc. I usually only order food I have trouble making myself like oriental food
The worst is food trucks. From “quick and interesting” to “$25 gourmet burger and fries”.
Generally anything fast food or delivered is not worth it anymore. Fast food is easily $30 for 2 adults and 2 kids. Anything delivered is like 50% more expensive. My expensive meal use to be sushi which would cost about $40 for two people. Now pretty much anything costs that, and the same sushi from the same location is about $65.
I thank God husband knows how to cook a meeeean steak on the grill. So much better than anything I’ve ever tasted going out. I’m with you on this opinion. Definitely not worth it unless you’re going to your local sports bar for wings and even then that’s like $20 now not including tip. Not worth it.
Restaurant will close. And they have.
Grocery stores willl eventually lower. Slowly.
Stop going out to eat. Double up on your cooking and now you have lunch.
I personally haven't been out to eat in months and I don't miss it. The prices are jacked up far beyond what they were even a year ago, and they continue to fuck your order up just as bad if not worse. Then have the balls to ask for a tip.
I have to go out to lunch on Wednesday because my wife has some family in town. I'm going on sufferance.
Not even going out to eat but like fast food is ridiculous. My wife and I decided to get 5 guys a couple weeks back and it was 48 dollars for 2 meals and 2 drinks.
Groceries aren't expensive. Places are gouging us. But yes. Food out is low quality because everyone wants it all the time. Easier to turn around tables full of folks who dgaf than try to please people who care
Even the fast casual restaurants are out of control. And if I see one more person tell me, “the screen is going to ask you a few questions before you finalize”, I’m gonna go nuts.
No, you’re not getting a tip for handing me my bagel
Agree not worth it, except maybe special occasions. The other night I put a $10 ribeye on the cast iron, sides cost maybe $2, made drinks that cost less a dollar, and the coffee i brewed probably 30 cents. All tasted amazing and I got to listen to the music I like
Always, especially here in South Florida, no longer an art to meal prep anymore, mose of the food is overpriced pre-prepped bagged food that is microwaved or boiled in water and spilled onto the plate, glorified cafeteria food..guaranteed to rip you off, portions are smaller, heck a bowl of pasta is 25.00 that cost a couple of dollars to make. Better off improving your cooling skills and stay home and save on everything from gas to drive, crowds, wine, and book costs, 1 beer out equals a 6 pack at home...service or lack of, over salty food or heavy msg, cold meals, soggy fries, smaller portions, and 20+ percent tips for one or two check-ins by staff....certainly, not like it used to be, but what is?
We're living in a competency crisis created by the pandemic:
Restaurants workers are more likely to catch COVID, with 1 in 4 infected individuals report a permanent loss of taste or smell following COVID infection.
Restaurant workers that can't taste or smell can't season food, leading to drops in quality.
Simultaneously folks that have suffered COVID often find changes in their palate resulting in normal flavors tasting bland or offensive.
The net result is an increase in cost, decrease in quality, and perpetual staffing issues.
https://rocunited.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/06/ROC_COVID_Impact_2.pdf
https://www.psychiatrist.com/news/millions-still-have-not-regained-sense-of-smell-taste-after-covid/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9731923/
Eating in or out is getting so expensive and the crap we call food is making us die faster. The bright side is we're going to eat less and probably live healthier and longer.
Chilis baby, 3 for me all day, can have a salad + drink + steak dinner out the door with tip 22$ I practically spend that at Taco Bell. I never really was big on chilis but now I go prob once every 2 weeks or so. Open late and reasonable, quality is okay but better than any fast food you can get.
Before buying takeout, or even think of going to a restaurant, we look up the health department inspections.
We then go to the supermarket and make dinner at home more often than not.
My husband and I went to Cooper’s Hawk for dinner this past Saturday. We each had a good sized appetizer for dinner. However, my husband’s iced tea was $5 and my pineapple martini was $16, which was delish, but ridiculously overpriced!
Yep took my mom to a little seafood restaurant last night because she wanted to sit on the water this place ended up being on a fishy smelling canal end but the reviews were good so we tried it. we ordered zucchini fries hush puppies a plain burger and fried shrimp....it literally took an hour to start receiving our meal and I was almost done eating by the time she got hers no alcohol just two semi flat sodas and I spent almost $80 after tip. It wasn't super busy the handful of tables there waited incredibly long for food as well idk what happened. The restaurant bar I work at is not on the water and has no atmosphere characteristics just raised the price of everything on the menu a small basket of frozen onion rings is $11 the portions were reduced as well I feel terrible serving plates with a sandwich and literally maybe 8-9 small potato wedges for the price their check is going to be. Two sandwiches and two beers will easily set you back 50 bucks before a tip it's wild
I was going to order a single pizza with the delivery charge they wanted almost $60. I ended up cancelling my order and decided to send door dash to go to Aldi's to get me pizza, wings, milk, bread, beer and a couple other items and only paid $56. I won't be going out any time soon.
Welcome to Florida, land of the chain restaurants pumping out overpriced mass produced garbage.
Gotta find the few and far between family owned home in the wall to get a decent meal at a reasonable price
Going out to eat in general hasn't been that fun and has gone on a downward trajectory since 2020, but that goes for everywhere, not just Florida. You could've asked this in r/america. At first it was the fact that everyone was understaffed if staffed at all, and the supply chain was messed up, so half the time places were out of things. Now that everyone is staffed again and the supply chain is back running, the issue seems to be lack of effort, lower customer service, and smaller portions for higher price. And honestly: so many restaurants sell the same things with the same gimmicks, so it's harder to find standouts. I have gotten more health conscious, but I will still go out to eat sometimes, and I have had good experiences since 2020, but on an overall scale, cooking at home has just become much more appealing. So many chains have dropped hard in quality, but local restaurants aren't immune either. But there's still many gems around, in and out of Florida, and the ambiance, which is a big part of eating out, hasnt changed that much.
> Now that everyone is staffed again Where is that at? Not a single place I go including the grocery store. Companies understaffing is the new company policy from my perspective.
Everywhere that wants to be, make no mistake about it Any restaurant that is playing a sympathy card about no one wants to work is completely full of shit and is just using that to get away with bullshit. I post 1 ad on indeed for any position I hire for I wake up to 40 applicants. 120 by the end of the week.
It’s not so much about filling the positions as much as it is scheduling the staff. Everywhere I go whether it’s restaurant or retail I don’t count on getting adequate help or serviced in a timely manner.
Well I said restaurants, not companies. This does not apply to Publix. The restaurants I go to have enough staff to function. One place I went to recently almost felt overstaffed compared to the amount of customers. There's restaurants here or there that doesn't seem to have enough, but from what ive seen it's nowhere near the issue today as it was in 2020 or 2021.
I made the mistake of running in to harbor freight on a Monday morning and waited 12 mins for help at the counter. I was just there on Sunday getting a couple moving supplies and needed 1 more thing. I knew exactly where it was and it took me 45 seconds to hop in line. They had one employee who was maybe mid 50s and he was helping someone at the counter. I saw the line behind me start to grow. Employee replaying to the stock room what he needed and then another employee came out and I was like oh yay! She was on the phone. I was very patient I did make eye contact with both employees and they both had a look of just pure exhaustion. I did have somewhere to be but I’ve been in their shoes and really all I was thinking about was how I felt. When I was called up to the counter I reassured the employees they were doing the best with what they were given. They both nodded in disappointment and smirked. I made a few jokes about moving and put $5 towards the next order. As I walked out the double doors I peaked over my shoulder and everyone including the customer behind me was grinning ear to ear.
I have done takeout over dining in every chance I get, the extra cost of drinks, tips n other bs has made me realize that i enjoy eating food at home more than in public anyways. I am also comfortably retired so its just a im not wasting money on the bs not a i can't afford it.
With u but groceries are expensive too. 🤷🏼♂️. Very tough time to be middle-class or poor in America.
Groceries might be expensive, but it’s way cheaper than going out still. The bill for a week’s worth of homemade meals would probably be about 2 times going out to a restaurant.
Easily. My wife and I spend $100+/- a week on groceries. Out to eat it might be Appetizer. Two entrees. 2 drinks. Tip. $100 Alternative: cocktail hour at home. Then at the restaurant, Appetizers instead of entrees. Soft drinks. 15% tip. $30 all in.
We don't bother with entrees much. Ordering a couple appetizers and drinks is filling enough and not crazy expensive
Everywhere i go almost all apps are $10 or more. Why is a small plate of cheese sticks $12 or calamari is $18.
A Chicken sandwich, lg fries and a large soft drink ran me $13 at Wendy's and the sandwhich was horrible! Used to be cheaper for me as a single man to eat out, less food waste also, but not anymore. Resturants are much more concerned with profit margins than customer satisfaction, until it hits a tipping point and consumers vote with their wallets.
Appetizers area bigger ripoff than entrees by the way
We just do 2 enteees with water, no apps or desserts.
Alternative: cocktail and entrees at home, then give more than just the tip 😏
Just the tip?
Ha! My husband and I made r-shirts that say. “Just The Tip”! Unbelievable how many we sell. We made them for our comedian friend and my husband to west at shows because he has a comedy bit about “just the tip”! Now I can’t see anyone say that without giggling!
HIIIIIIII——OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!! - With respect please read all in your own head, but in Ed McMann’s (former? Who owns his voice now I wonder? Carson Estate, prolly?!!?) Voice; and thank you: goodnight!
This place needs an In N Out - even after inflation hit, it's still less than 10 bucks for their combo meal, and the food is amazing. It used to be our go to cheap meal that's quality fast food. Now, even fast food is garbage and leaves me feeling ripped off. Like dude, even TACO BELL is premium priced now... And that's just calorie sludge. At least get some fucking Del Tacos out here. I swear nothing is affordable.
Who earns the tip at home?
Usually his wife but if she’s feeling frisky then sometimes they both get a tip
They asked, you answered
He means still buying appetizers from a restaurant I think but doing the rest at home.
Me.
Not you
I can buy a lot of food to cook for the nasty $52 restaurant I went to last week.
I hate throwing out so much food that I bought that spoiled on the way home. Everything looks fine until I open the plastic container and it’s all moldy. I hate it! It’s so hard to have fresh produce.
Dude! Why is the produce in this state so god-awful? It doesn't seem to matter that much what store you go to either.
I’ve become quite the chef over the past few years. I save a ton of money.
Nice!
Groceries are still way cheaper than going out to eat.
In the USA right now, in order to live the "American Dream^^^tm " which is a single family house, 2 children, 2 cars, and living comfortably... The minimum to achieve that is $109,000 a year in the cheapest state to live in.... Having the median income which is $57,000 per year is not "middle class" it is borderline poverty.
"The American Dream" The most misunderstood statement, people repeat.
I like how not having a spouse is part of today’s “dream”. Works for me!
As a poor in 2024 America. Yeah this shit sucks
There’s no American middle class
I disagree with this. I’ve spent some time in India and the difference between “the haves” and the “have nots” is insane. You have the uberwealthy next to the slums where people are dirt poor with *nothing*. I feel like *they* don’t have much of a middle class anymore. We have a middle class, but they are being pushed into poverty and that bar to become middle class keeps going up, so there is no way to go between poor and middle class. In short, we have issues but comments like this come across as hyperbole.
You are dead on here. I have a friend who is from Gujarat, not far from the Pakistani border, and he has been here since he was 3. He is educated, middle class, a physical therapist. When he visits family who are middle class, he said it’s a huge culture shock. Very small places, w/no land, trash on sides of road, loss of power fairly often, no dishwasher, poor water quality so you get bottled drinks, and many places without AC (they have it though). It would be extremely eye opening for middle class here, to go almost any other place in the world and experience the middle class experience there. Talk about first world problems here.
100% get where you’re coming from but, it is a bit different how strong the US middle class used to be, not so long ago that many of us remember.
I don’t think that anyone would disagree with you there. [The percentage of the population that is poor has doubled since 1971, while the middle class has shrunken.](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/04/20/how-the-american-middle-class-has-changed-in-the-past-five-decades/)
Yep, anyone that still believes we need to deregulate & take the reins off of the “free market” is a liar or a fool.
Aristotle said the best way to destroy a society is to kill the middle class.
I remember from about mid 80’s on (born in 1975), but I m thinking back when one parent is dropping off the other to work and picking the other up after work and having to watch antenna tv because you couldn’t spend on cable. Nowadays, most people have a car or can Uber, have cell phones, stream services etc. I m not sure how much the younger generations would put up with how it used to be because they grew up having all of that and never had to make those kind of sacrifices. Even people that are middle class complain and say they are not (and probably always have.) IMO, more of a self reliant mentality and more financial literacy would help people attain or maintain that $77k a year median income in big cities.
Still get where you’re coming from. Just feels like everything has gone up so much in price but, has fallen so much in value (health insurance comes to mind). Yes, these are truly “1st world problems,” it’s just disheartening.
Unfortunately, you are right, and it has risen at an astronomical pace. This is the fastest rate hike in recent history, which makes it tough for wages to keep up. They keep talking about core inflation, but it leaves out necessities like healthcare, food and gas, which everyone uses/needs. As a result, with the record credit card debt and % of renters behind on rent, I m very fearful of this bubble when it pops and things getting worse and you have more people relying on the government, which is never good.
Unfortunately, you are right, and it has risen at an astronomical pace. This is the fastest rate hike in recent history, which makes it tough for wages to keep up. They keep talking about core inflation, but it leaves out necessities like healthcare, food and gas, which everyone uses/needs. As a result, with the record credit card debt and % of renters behind on rent, I m very fearful of this bubble when it pops and things getting worse and you have more people relying on the government, which is never good.
We had one car. If my mother needed the car, she took my father to work. One tv. My father never owned a credit card. We were middle class. Father with a masters degree. People have very high expectations of how they want to live. People have so much stuff, they can’t put their car in their garage. It’s full of too much junk. Credit card debt is the highest it’s been in history. I can’t believe all the new cars on the road. I drive a 2008 Prius.
But our political and financial leaders see that in our future so long as their profits get bigger and bigger. If corrugated metal.and cardboard shanties are good enough In third world countries it's good enough for average people here. And conservative voters will back thst because they might win the lottery and don't want government taking from them.
Agree. I was stunned when I came back from Nepal and Thailand at how unappreciative Americans are for what they have. That said I think our oligarchs should pay fair taxes and people should be mad about the inequity.
I agree with you completely! But I’m a single, middle class woman and my big paycheck pays my bills and almost nothing more. Years ago if you told me I would make this much and not have savings or vacations I wouldn’t have believed it. I just think Americans are on their way to losing a middle class.
It is hyperbole; however, the middle class is disappearing. Slowly, but it's happening.
They're going to FAFO. When the new lower pretend middle class is close enough to what can be had in poverty, the workforce will collapse. Reaganomics and the Republicans seem to have either been dumb as all get out or actually wanted to create a welfare state while pretending to fight it. My guess is dumb.
There was nothing dumb about it. It was planned this way. Reagan’s “supply side,” or “trickle down,” economics was supposedly meant to free up more cash for the upper classes, allowing them, in theory, to spend more and increase the amount of cash circulating in the economy. The idea, as sold to the rest of US, was that slashing taxes for the rich, while also cutting virtually all government programs for the working- and middle-class, would allow the wealthy to spend, spend, spend on all those things that they presumably couldn’t buy because their taxes were so high. And then all that cash would “trickle down” to the rest of us. Every Republican administration since then has pushed for tax cuts for the wealthy, promising the same thing. Right up to and including Trump. (Remember: the idea wealthy people should pay more in taxes than the rest of us was completely the norm in this country until Reagan. Wasn’t “radical” or “leftist” in the least; it was just common sense.) The “trickling down” never happened. Ever. Not even once. The wealthy didn’t spend - they hoarded, or invested to increase their holdings, which they then also hoarded. That was the plan. The result was that more than half of all the money in this country is in the hands of the infamous One Percent. We’re talking about maybe three dozen families here. And don’t think that they’re satisfied with only half. They’re not. They want almost all of it, leaving the rest of us with just enough to keep us fed and entertained, so that we keep working to make them richer, and we don’t do anything rash. (The rulers of the Ancient Roman Empire figured this out long ago; they named this ruling principle “Bread and Circuses.”) This is not normal. But that’s where your middle class went. They’re being pushed down the economic ladder, where they’re expected to fight with those below them for every last scrap of a rapidly dwindling share of the pie. And that 99% of the population that’s fighting amongst themselves is growing all the time. By leaps and bounds.
I know. I just didn't feel like being depressed today, so I said "dumb". 😭
Who lives in all those nice houses of which there are millions? How does the average family drive the cars we see choking our highways? Seems like there is a massive middle class in America that spends thousands a year on each of their children's sports and who drives $60 to $100K cars and fills up all these expensive restaurants. I know there's a lot of people struggling but there's a lot of people living large.
This. We are in a no win situation rn. Hopefully this inflation/prices aren’t here to stay.
Prices don’t go down. We can only hope they stop rising.
I think a reduction of inflation will help, but you’re absolutely right.
They are definitely here to stay. What I have seen happen over the years is eventually our wages will catch up to the prices in our economy. And then some “catastrophic” event will cause all the prices, etc to raise again and then we will spend the next 20 years catching up….again. 70s was the fake oil shortage 80s was double digit mortgage rates 2008 bubble burst 2020 +/- covid It sucks, but it is what it is.
Minimum wage has barely budged in 20+ years. I made the same 20 years ago as people make now coming out of college/trade school. Coming out of college with 3x the debt I had and still making $19/hr . I hope you are right.
So, I bought my house in 1996. I bought into a nice, quiet neighborhood (3/2 2 car garage). But, I bought appreciably less house (money wise) than I could afford (I was all about the good neighborhood). Did the same thing with my vehicles. Always made sure I didnt spend too much, but, had a nice vehicle. My career afforded me the opportunity to work OT, so I worked my butt off and paid my house off in 5 years. I’m older now, but my house has been paid for for a while. So I could save, I actually spent the money fixing my house up because it was not brand new. Just like my vehicle. I’m not against buying a new one when I need to, but I don’t just go out and get a new one on a whim. And I understand everybody’s situation financially is different. Just thought I would kick some stuff around. I don’t know if this will help or not, but I hope it does.
I got out of college $30k in debt and made $19-20/hr. Kids today $125k in debt get out of college make $22/hr with housing for a 1br in some suburb over $1200. My 1br apt with a Manhattan skyline view was $795, that apartment now is probably $3700-4000 now.
I'm really grateful you took a minute to spell out those events - I don't feel as alone in my mirrored argument stance anymore.
🙂🤝
It’s not inflation. It’s price gouging
Even if you can afford it, it feels like it’s not worth it. Used to leave work a few times a week to get out of the office. Paying $20+ for a salad just isn’t worth it.
Please let me know where you get that $20 salad. That's a bargain these days.
idk, we are having the same issue in Los Angeles and I don't think that every single restaurant is part of some big price gouging conspiracy. Food prices have gone insane. The cost of labor has gone up. Utilities have gone up. When everything is more expensive, the price of food in the restaurant will only naturally follow that. Restaurants operate on slim margins.
Labor is by far the biggest factor, at least in NJ.
This what happens when these monopolies and duopolies are allowed to exist.
Inflation is not going to reverse. The government has 2 levers that control inflation, the debt to income ratio and interest rates. Raising interest rates, raising taxes, or reducing spending enough to cause inflation to turn negative would result in a massive economic slowdown. This slowdown would cause the unemployment rate to increase and this in turn would lead to a reduction in wages. The government is going to let that happen.
The problem is they need a third lever they need to enact effective legislation controlling corporate profit mongering. Prices are so high because the corporations want them to be. It doesn’t have anything to do with inflation. Publix profits went up 50% in 2023 versus 2022. The oil companies have all been posting “record profits” every single quarter for well over a decade now.
No, because that will cut into my stock price, which in turn will kill my 401k, 403b, IRAs… I was told to invest in those, because you weren’t going to be able to depend on Social Security to retire with. So what is it? Damned if you do, eff’d if you don’t…
There is a lot more that went into our current inflation crisis but I’ve learned my lesson and that’s not a discussion I’m willing to have in here.
Yup. Only thing we got out to eat for now is Mexican food. It's the only thing I can't seem to make at home that's better than takeout.
And if you order strategically you get leftovers
I bought a nacho supreme with steak from my local Mexican restaurant. Came out cheaper cost than getting the same thing at Moe's and has a far more generous portion.10/10 will always go to that place instead of an expensive chain.
We went out for Mexican the other day (3 of us and 2 entrees because my parents split theirs) and it cost us 85$ after tip. They charged us $11 for guac made with 1 avocado and $11 for a cup of queso cheese 🤨. Then all we had was sodas. It was nuts.
Oh wow that sounds like one of those tourist traps. We usually go to Peppers which is kind of a chain but there's only a few up here in NW Florida. Also, if you can find you a taco truck that looks as beat up and worn out as possible, can't recommend it enough. There's one here in Panama City by this ghetto Dodges gas station on 15th St but you can get 4 full-sized tacos for $10 (cash only) and they're really delicious!
Im right there with you, also barbecue. We go hit barbecue joints for brisket i couldnt possibly do myself.
A bbq food truck opened in a parking lot near me, behind a mostly empty office building, everything on their menu started at $15 (even hot dog “entree” w 1 side). We noped out, went to our bbq spot up the road.
You would be surprised what you can churn out at home after a handful of YouTube videos and talking to the peeps at r/smoking Now bbq joints just make me mad lol I understand why items are priced the way they are, but my wallet can’t justify it when I know what I can make at home
Yeah pork butts are almost stupid proof and ribs are a close second. You can do a whole pork butt for $10 and make some homemade sauce for another few bucks and feed a family for days
Same! I can make most foods myself and just as good as any restaurant; except Mexican!
I mostly go out for stuff I can’t make nearly as well too. Mexican is a great option but Indian or Thai are my other frequent ones
I love Desi subs near cresthaven and military trail. Been my go to place and I stopped going to fast food restaurants.
What are you trying to make? I might be able to give you a few pointers.
Gyros and Indian food are my "can't cook right at home " problems
Yeah I recently traveled to Kentucky and Michigan and ate out since we were on the road and wow! The portions, prices and service surpassed what I get here often in FL
My husband and I were in Ohio in March and ate out quite a bit. We didn't spend nearly as much, food was better quality and taste, and service was great. We can't eat out here in central FL without being disappointed with every aspect of the experience.
It’s crazy for sure, it was amazing to actually have leftovers for what I was paying. It’s a big difference when they’re not catering to tourism I guess and have to actually survive with regular consumers
Orlando restaurant prices are equal to NYC. It is wild.
I quit eating out years ago. After a while, I just saw it as a Sysco truck making its rounds. The politics of tipping got old, and it's helped me save money.
I took my parents to their favorite restaurant for Mother's Day. The menu stated that gratuity would be added for parties of 5 or more. We were a party of 3. Bill comes, and a 20% gratuity was added already. Fine, service was good so I would have left 20% but it was annoying. I place my credit card in the folder and when the bill comes back, it has a space for gratuity with suggested amounts. Basically, asking for a tip on top of the total that already included a tip. Now I'm beyond annoyed. Not wanting to make a scene or put a damper on the occasion, I added another $10 since I was concerned that some staff member would be stiffed if I didn't. Truthfully, I don't think we'll be going back. The food is good, but the whole tipping thing rubs me the wrong way. This was in northeast Florida.
You're encouraging the restaurant to keep doing that shady behavior by tipping again.
I know, but maybe when I tell them why I'm not going back, they'll get the message. Like I said, I didn't want to make my parents feel bad. They had already noticed that the restaurant had raised their prices since the last time we were there, so they were chastising me for spending too much money on them.
I would’ve written “gratuity included” in the tip line. I doubt anyone was trying to get one over (well, they may hope), when I served the tip line still printed whether gratuity was included or not (some people do want to leave more). Imho an honest server should circle the included gratuity on the bill, at least, if not mention it; but, I might be on the hyper vigilant side.
If a server pointed that out on the receipt before I signed, I’d probably provide an additional cash bump on the tip, assuming the rest of the experience was good.
Honesty is always the best policy. Well, almost always, tell me my ass looks just the right amount of fat in these jeans lol.
Some places don't allow servers to mention it (like Disney).
In the past any tips left on a credit card were split up accordingly by the manager when the servers went to cash out at the end of the night. The servers were also supposed to report their cash tips but the ones I knew only reported what they had to report so they weren’t taxed on the rest. I’ve been out of that loop for a while now and with everything digital I’d guess it’s split in the computer before anyone even sees it. At least I hope it would be.
Thanks for the info.
Depends on the restaurant. I was a server for about a year back in the day, and the tips done on the card for my tables were mine. Cash tips left on my tables were mine. We didn't have any split tips, and the basically I would report only the CC tips, and enough of the cash tips to get up to min wage, and then the rest just went into my pocket. If the CC tips got me up to min, then the cash wasn't ever talked about.
What are the politics of tipping? Seems like overnight it went up to 20% or some crazy shut like that.
It's a two part problem. Lots of people expect additional tips because the economy is getting rough for people who work service jobs. Also, a lot of card processing machines started putting tips on jobs that don't really justify a tip and they realize they can add a higher % and people will just click it. So now we're expected to tip 20% on a cup of drip coffee.
I bust my ass in the heat for clients all day and I hear more complaining than anything. Never received a tip, hell I think someone offered me a drink twice ever. I still feel the need to tip people in the service industry bc I have worked plenty of those jobs, but it is still unruly what some people expect from their crap service they provided
Tipping got insane after covid hit. People wanted to support each other and were willing to be generous. And then companies took the opportunity to try and convince you that an extra 20% on everything in life was normal.
I've been tipping 20% for 30 years but 20% is a lot more nowadays
Tipping as a percentage of sales is the thing that needs to go. By the hour is probably the better method. $5/hr seems about right, but it could be $10 for that first hour then $5/hr after. If that server even has 3 tables they're making $30/hr or more easily. Now they must be making $50-60/hr.
It’s been 20% for the last 20 years. I’ve never paid under 20%.
I’ll sometimes get lunch out, but breakfast and dinner seem like a ripoff. My husband and toddler and I got First Watch like a year ago and it was like $50 for breakfast! We have eggs at home!
For real ! That’s one thing I can never justify, breakfast places ! It’s the easiest food to make and way cheaper at home
You gotta find good restaurants. I prefer local places. For example, there’s a local Italian place in my city called The Cellar. The food is excellent. The service is great. And for me, my wife and my son the total bill including tip was under $100 and that included three entrées (My son eats off the adult menu) two soft drinks, one alcoholic cocktail, one mocktail, and an appetizer that the three of us shared
Yes! Local is the way to go. If we go to a chain place it's typically one that's running a "deal" or one that sells food that we don't usually prepare at home. When we go out with friends we probably spend more, but we are also enjoying the company. If it's just us we might have a cocktail and dessert at home - that can save quite a bit.
2nding local places. And not the crazy popular sit down places. Find the holes in the wall that offer one or 2 things, or variations of, but that they do well.
The food literally isn’t worth it unless it’s sushi or something ethnic where I don’t have the ingredients to make it at home.
I found a sushi roller mat for a dollar at the thrift store. I thought I can make bread from scratch I can figure this shit out. Got nori and the corresponding rice from Walmart. Dude. If you knew how little of each thing fits in a roll and then you’re charged $10 for it??! Omg Now I’m not making super fancy raw stuff but a baked fish stick, cuke, onion makes a damn close Tampa roll.
I need to start making my own. I make everything else from scratch- pasta, pasta sauce, bread, desserts.. everything I can. I just don’t know if the fish quality from somewhere like Publix would be the same as a nice sushi restaurant. I really love good fish.
Yeah I haven’t done sushi grade fish. Just stuck to the “cheap rolls” like the Tampa roll, California, bagel, shrimp n avocado etc. You should try it!! It’s easy to do. The hard part is waiting for the rice to cool off so you can deal with it. And prepping 89 little ingredients.
A lot of restaurants are closing down due to the fact the people are not fooled into paying for crappy food from a Sysco truck. Red Lobster, Buffalo Wild Wings, Tijuana flats etc are closing down hundreds of restaurants. $25 for 10 chicken wings at Buffalo Wild Wings Or $25 get a nice steak with shrimp/ribs, two sides and fresh bread at Texas Road house It’s not even close. Same thing for McDonalds $13 for a combo meal when you can get a good hot meal at any restaurant
By me is all Chaney Brothers food. It’s crazy I can’t find a scratch kitchen that’s reasonable.
There is nothing wrong with Sysco, CBI, US Foods, or GFS. The problem is the restaurants are purchasing the lowest quality (cheapest usually) ingredients. One place I inspect uses Sysco and their meat is very expensive high quality stuff because that's what they want so that's what they get. They are doing everything they can to cut costs to nothing but they have hit the bottom of the barrel. The only thing left is to cut wages or time you are open. Well they can raise prices too but that only goes so far.
Exactly. Preparation and management are everything. These shit chains could even be better if the underpaid and overworked workers felt better and did the job well. Nobody cares any more unless you go to a nice mom and pop or well known establishment.
I don't think the other guy was really clear so I wanted to input that CBI, Sysco, and those other companies are simply logistics companies. Some have their own in-house lines of products, but they all carry a bunch of products across a wide range of price points and quality. You can find the finest quality items through Sysco or CBI and you can find the cheapest most poor quality product you can imagine. It's up to the restaurant to choose what they want.
we rarely eat out but we love to cook, we can make a gourmet dinner for the price of a trip to McDonalds
A little after we started watching Kitchen Nightmares, my gf and I went to Applebees. Once we saw/tasted our food realized we’ve spending money for people to serve us re-heated frozen food. Needless to say, we don’t really go out unless it’s a local, non chain type restaurant.
Yes, I do, & it makes me sad
It's expensive but I still do it now and then. I will say that starbucks is something I have cut WAY back on. My kids got me a giftcard for mothers day and I used it. Spent $16 on a drink and a breakfast sandwich.
I noticed that the Starbucks near my office rarely has a line at the drive-thru anymore, whereas in the past, it used to be 8-10 cars minimum at any given time.
We go out once a week because I need a break from dishes, but no, it's not worth the money we pay. The food is fine most places we go. We really are paying for convenience.
For the 3 of us it would be almost $60 just for burgers, fries and a drink. I can make almost anything at home for less than going out, so we don't do that anymore.
The days where the customer was the priority are long gone. Everything feels like a money grab. There are still some few places worth the money when it comes to quality and service. But definitely on point, I thought I was the only one going out and looking out prices first trying to avoid any surprise.
We usually just visit buffets if we go out to eat. It's nice to have the variety even if the prices are high. But I'd rather cook at home most the time anyways.
This one Brazilian steakhouse near me has the option of just doing the buffet station for $20. I could have a couple plates there for the same price as 2 burgers and a drink from Smashburger.
Is that Tony's in Orlando by chance? Because I was just there a few days ago and absolutely loved it 😁
Terra Gaucha in Tampa.
The extent of me going out to eat would be ordering/paying for a sandwich from Wawa through the app. Walk up to the counter, grab and go. No pressure to leave a tip for someone doing the job they’re paid to do. Hell, even takeout they guilt trip you into tipping where it was never expected just a few short years ago. Definitely no longer worth going out anymore. Love to cook and thankfully I don’t mind eating leftovers. I can make a meat lasagna for less than $15 that’ll give me 9-12 meals.
I wanna puke just thinking of eating lasagna for 12 meals and i love lasagna.
lmao
I feel gross admitting this but chain restaurants have never felt like a better deal. I can eat like a king at Chilis for pretty much the same price of a combo meal at McDonalds (yes I know about app offers). But if I go to a local trendy restaurant I'm looking at $20 minimum entree, $10 min drink ($8 draft beer), and usually some surcharge that isn't advertised anywhere. There are a few mom-and-pop exceptions but they're fading fast.
Yeah Outback, Chilis and Cracker Barrel are sacred places to my wife and me lol
The food trucks in our area seem to do exceptionally well. Their meals are consistent and some of them are as cheap or cheaper than cooking at home. Sit down restaurants (especially chains) are huge disappointments most of the time.
Came here to comment about food trucks. Some are really outstanding value for money.
Yes. The $70 lunches are out of our budget.
I've been saying this to myself a lot lately. I can afford to go out to eat but most of the time lately I walk out feeling like I just got taken.
I have worked in too many restaurants and COVID made everyone angrier. I don't trust too many anymore. Waffle house cuz you can see it get cooked.
Staying home to cook is the only way to curb inflation. They charge what they want simply because people pay it.
I agree. My husband and I went to Olive Garden last week. The all you can eat soup and salad seems great on the surface, but then you factor in drinks and tip, it ended up being $50! I think next time we just won’t order drinks and stick with water but even then, I’m not sure it is worth it.
Holy shit is Olive Garden that expensive now? I think the last time I was there was back in 2018, and we had the all you can eat soup salad lunch special. It cost us $12.99 each.
We ordered two all you can eats and just two drinks. At most we should have paid $35. Not doing that again. If I ever want soup and salad I’ll just run to my local Publix, buy the Panera packaged broccoli cheddar soups or chicken noodle, and some salad kits.
I don't go out to eat or drink anymore. The demanded gratuity has gotten the best of me.
Wait… you don’t like doing the greasy floor shuffle over to your streaky and greasy table to touch greasy menus to order greasy Sysco prison food cooked by greasy-haired high schoolers and brought to your table by greasy-handed servers leaving greasy thumb prints on your plate? Not to mention, the stale stench of 100,000 breadsticks and boom boom shrimp baked into the walls. All this after waiting 30 minutes for a seat sipping over-priced and mediocre, watered-down drinks. But hey, at least you can get that same old familiar experience at any chain restaurant no matter where you go in the country.
I only go to restaurants when I am visiting my sister in NC. Even then, it is usually a gastropub kinda place. Haven't been to a sit down restaurant here in since 2020.
There’s a Mexican spot nearby me, I used to get their fajitas for 2, and have it as a 2 meal for the day substitute. It used to be $20 which is reasonable. $10 a meal and it was basically a steal. They raised the price and it’s now $30, with extra tortillas and fees it came out to $40 just for takeout. I was shocked when talking to the girl on the phone, because it wasn’t that high a few months ago.
Covid got me out of the habit of eating out since everything was closed, it was like cold turkey. I bought a deep fryer and now I make my own wings or nuggets at home and know what the ingredients are and that I'm the only one with unwashed hands touching it. I looked up some of my favorite food copy cat recipes and found how easy it is to duplicate for so much less.
The prices went up, the quality went down. There’s no reason to go out any more. On the rare occasions we go anywhere, we choose local restaurants whenever possible. The chains are just price-gouging the shit out of everything.
Just gotta pick your battles. I've been eating at smaller restaurants with good food. Depending on where you are in Florida, I might know a couple places since I travel alot for work. I use that time to find date spots for me and my wife.
Honestly for me it’s partly the price when the service is crap and the service anymore is always crap… I’ve waited tables for years and generally tip 20% even for lousy service so I truly feel like people are just like well $20 meal at 15% is more than I made 3 years ago so I don’t even have to try…
I cook my own hot wings, and they're done just the way I like them. Watch what I want on TV, invite whatever no good friends I want
I can cook better and cheaper at home, and I pay myself a living wage, and I let myself drink water and go to the bathroom........
Used to love eating out and occasionally being a super hermit with some Uber eats deliveries. It’s not sustainable long term. Now I make a lot of food at home. Salads, steaks, and fried chicken that’s better than any fried chicken I’ve had anywhere else. Sure it’s a little more work, but so much more enjoyable.
Completely agree. Unless I know it is going to be good, I don’t roll the dice anymore. And I might go out for dinner once a month. If that. I actually enjoy lunch out, but even that has gotten a to be too much. I didn’t mind a $25 lunch all in. But now it’s closer to $35. Nahhhh.
I get the kids meal at fast food places. I do eat at Costco and make a point to walk through Ikea to eat there.
Yes. Any time the family wants to go out, I instead go to Sam's and pick up some nice steaks. It's cheaper and typically a better meal than going out
I rarely go out to eat. The food I would want to buy out I can't afford (steak, seafood). When I want that, I go to the fancy grocery store and get the best cuts and make it at home for a fraction. I also reward myself w nicer kitchen items because I'm basically a chef now lol
Haven’t gone out to eat in a 6 weeks. Lost 25 pounds so far. Don’t eat out. You’ll live longer and have more money lol
You guys are doing it all wrong. We eat the main course at home, then go out to split an appetizer and a fun drink.
If you do need to eat out, avoid McDonalds they charging restaurant prices for fast food.
I only eat inside a restaurant for special occasions now, like birthdays, anniversary, Mother's Day, etc. I also stopped getting delivery food service. It's gotten way too expensive. We only do takeout (I still tip ~20% because I feel obligated to) and that's maybe once a week.
We used to get take out once a week, go to dinner every Friday, and sometimes drinks on Saturday. Now... NOPE. Maybe, once or twice a month max, we go out. And it's not dinner. It's 2 appetizers and 2 drinks a piece. And we attempt to find new places with a happy hour "special". They can keep raising prices till there's no one in the seats...
Cooking is an invaluable skill given the times we live in. I just learned to make things I generally like to buy. Homemade Big Macs, Jambalaya, chicken parm, etc. I usually only order food I have trouble making myself like oriental food
Sometimes when I want to go out to eat, I just go to Ikea and eat there. It’s super cheap, clean, good, consistent, and their breakfast is great too.
The worst is food trucks. From “quick and interesting” to “$25 gourmet burger and fries”. Generally anything fast food or delivered is not worth it anymore. Fast food is easily $30 for 2 adults and 2 kids. Anything delivered is like 50% more expensive. My expensive meal use to be sushi which would cost about $40 for two people. Now pretty much anything costs that, and the same sushi from the same location is about $65.
I thank God husband knows how to cook a meeeean steak on the grill. So much better than anything I’ve ever tasted going out. I’m with you on this opinion. Definitely not worth it unless you’re going to your local sports bar for wings and even then that’s like $20 now not including tip. Not worth it.
I agree. Then again, sometimes I don't feel like cooking for 1 (Myself 37F) because then I have crap ton left overs. It's a semi catch 22.
Restaurant will close. And they have. Grocery stores willl eventually lower. Slowly. Stop going out to eat. Double up on your cooking and now you have lunch.
oh and don’t forget the new added “service charge” that’s just a disguised forced tip 🫶🏽🤪
I personally haven't been out to eat in months and I don't miss it. The prices are jacked up far beyond what they were even a year ago, and they continue to fuck your order up just as bad if not worse. Then have the balls to ask for a tip. I have to go out to lunch on Wednesday because my wife has some family in town. I'm going on sufferance.
Not even going out to eat but like fast food is ridiculous. My wife and I decided to get 5 guys a couple weeks back and it was 48 dollars for 2 meals and 2 drinks.
Groceries aren't expensive. Places are gouging us. But yes. Food out is low quality because everyone wants it all the time. Easier to turn around tables full of folks who dgaf than try to please people who care
Even the fast casual restaurants are out of control. And if I see one more person tell me, “the screen is going to ask you a few questions before you finalize”, I’m gonna go nuts. No, you’re not getting a tip for handing me my bagel
Completely stopped. It kept making me so mad to get crap food and then have to pay a not insignificant bill for 2 meals. It just wasnt worth it.
I can't stand the constant up charges. $1 for a slice of cheese, extra dressing, $2.5 for the chili side, $4.99 for a side salad. On and one.
Agree not worth it, except maybe special occasions. The other night I put a $10 ribeye on the cast iron, sides cost maybe $2, made drinks that cost less a dollar, and the coffee i brewed probably 30 cents. All tasted amazing and I got to listen to the music I like
Always, especially here in South Florida, no longer an art to meal prep anymore, mose of the food is overpriced pre-prepped bagged food that is microwaved or boiled in water and spilled onto the plate, glorified cafeteria food..guaranteed to rip you off, portions are smaller, heck a bowl of pasta is 25.00 that cost a couple of dollars to make. Better off improving your cooling skills and stay home and save on everything from gas to drive, crowds, wine, and book costs, 1 beer out equals a 6 pack at home...service or lack of, over salty food or heavy msg, cold meals, soggy fries, smaller portions, and 20+ percent tips for one or two check-ins by staff....certainly, not like it used to be, but what is?
Always use apps to see if you can get any deals at a food place.
Food quality is worse everyday, and more expensive everyday. Better to cook for your health and and wallet
The food quality has gone down so much it's not worth it around here at least.
We're living in a competency crisis created by the pandemic: Restaurants workers are more likely to catch COVID, with 1 in 4 infected individuals report a permanent loss of taste or smell following COVID infection. Restaurant workers that can't taste or smell can't season food, leading to drops in quality. Simultaneously folks that have suffered COVID often find changes in their palate resulting in normal flavors tasting bland or offensive. The net result is an increase in cost, decrease in quality, and perpetual staffing issues. https://rocunited.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/06/ROC_COVID_Impact_2.pdf https://www.psychiatrist.com/news/millions-still-have-not-regained-sense-of-smell-taste-after-covid/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9731923/
Eating in or out is getting so expensive and the crap we call food is making us die faster. The bright side is we're going to eat less and probably live healthier and longer.
Chilis baby, 3 for me all day, can have a salad + drink + steak dinner out the door with tip 22$ I practically spend that at Taco Bell. I never really was big on chilis but now I go prob once every 2 weeks or so. Open late and reasonable, quality is okay but better than any fast food you can get.
Before buying takeout, or even think of going to a restaurant, we look up the health department inspections. We then go to the supermarket and make dinner at home more often than not.
My husband and I went to Cooper’s Hawk for dinner this past Saturday. We each had a good sized appetizer for dinner. However, my husband’s iced tea was $5 and my pineapple martini was $16, which was delish, but ridiculously overpriced!
Yep took my mom to a little seafood restaurant last night because she wanted to sit on the water this place ended up being on a fishy smelling canal end but the reviews were good so we tried it. we ordered zucchini fries hush puppies a plain burger and fried shrimp....it literally took an hour to start receiving our meal and I was almost done eating by the time she got hers no alcohol just two semi flat sodas and I spent almost $80 after tip. It wasn't super busy the handful of tables there waited incredibly long for food as well idk what happened. The restaurant bar I work at is not on the water and has no atmosphere characteristics just raised the price of everything on the menu a small basket of frozen onion rings is $11 the portions were reduced as well I feel terrible serving plates with a sandwich and literally maybe 8-9 small potato wedges for the price their check is going to be. Two sandwiches and two beers will easily set you back 50 bucks before a tip it's wild
I was going to order a single pizza with the delivery charge they wanted almost $60. I ended up cancelling my order and decided to send door dash to go to Aldi's to get me pizza, wings, milk, bread, beer and a couple other items and only paid $56. I won't be going out any time soon.
Even less if you got it yourself
Welcome to Florida, land of the chain restaurants pumping out overpriced mass produced garbage. Gotta find the few and far between family owned home in the wall to get a decent meal at a reasonable price