Why is the quality of meals at a restaurant getting worse?

[Anonymous]

I understand why it’s getting more expensive.
But why is quality and service going down?
Is it because they are using cheaper ingredients at the same time increasing menu prices ?

[Anonymous]

Um, yes.

[Anonymous]

I never understood the fascination with restaurants. When you eat simple, fresh food, which is what you should eat, it's not that hard to prepare a tasty meal. Steam some vegetables, grill a piece of fish, make a quick sauce, add a loaf of bread or cook some rice...and it will cost you 1/2 of a restaurant and taste better in most cases. I am very hopeful that the number of restaurants will decrease as the prices rise and people finally see that the value is not there. But, people are endlessly lazy and "out of time" even though they are on their phones all day. Sigh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never understood the fascination with restaurants. When you eat simple, fresh food, which is what you should eat, it's not that hard to prepare a tasty meal. Steam some vegetables, grill a piece of fish, make a quick sauce, add a loaf of bread or cook some rice...and it will cost you 1/2 of a restaurant and taste better in most cases. I am very hopeful that the number of restaurants will decrease as the prices rise and people finally see that the value is not there. But, people are endlessly lazy and "out of time" even though they are on their phones all day. Sigh.

You don’t even begin to understand the concept of restaurants.

If prices are up and quality is down, blame (1) the quantitative MBA bean counters who are interested in reducing cost to the point where people will stop coming if they go any further down the scale; and (2) the fact that society is now in at least the second if not the third generation of absolute narcissism and self-absorption and the very idea of a service mindset, let alone any experience of really good service, is now completely alien.

[Anonymous]

You answered your own question op.

Yes, cheaper ingredients brings down food quality. It's not a new concept.

[Anonymous]

A lot of restaurants are using heated up frozen food, too, hence the decline in quality. Paying decent knowledgeable cooks costs money.

[Anonymous]

Yes, we went somewhere last night that was $150 for three, two appetizers, three meals and it was just meh. We rarely spend that much. One appetizer was cold, the main pasta one was bland one overcooked. Service sucked too. We’ve cut out a lot of places. This one is cut.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You answered your own question op.

Yes, cheaper ingredients brings down food quality. It's not a new concept.

What about the service going down? Is it labor shortage .

[Anonymous]

We never went out much but now it's basically never. We have the time to cook at home and so we do. It's so much better, the food safety is in your control, you can eat it fresh and store leftovers right away. It's just a no brainer. I will start going out again if the restaurant model changes to be something really special (willing to pay for that) or something I can't cook at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You answered your own question op.

Yes, cheaper ingredients brings down food quality. It's not a new concept.

What about the service going down? Is it labor shortage .

Some of it is but they need to pay staff a better salary. If they are charging $30-60 per person they can pay their staff to make it a desirable place to work. I look at it as the managers and owners not paying attention or doing quality control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never understood the fascination with restaurants. When you eat simple, fresh food, which is what you should eat, it's not that hard to prepare a tasty meal. Steam some vegetables, grill a piece of fish, make a quick sauce, add a loaf of bread or cook some rice...and it will cost you 1/2 of a restaurant and taste better in most cases. I am very hopeful that the number of restaurants will decrease as the prices rise and people finally see that the value is not there. But, people are endlessly lazy and "out of time" even though they are on their phones all day. Sigh.

You know people travel and like to get together with friends without shopping, cooking and cleaning on Friday night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never understood the fascination with restaurants. When you eat simple, fresh food, which is what you should eat, it's not that hard to prepare a tasty meal. Steam some vegetables, grill a piece of fish, make a quick sauce, add a loaf of bread or cook some rice...and it will cost you 1/2 of a restaurant and taste better in most cases. I am very hopeful that the number of restaurants will decrease as the prices rise and people finally see that the value is not there. But, people are endlessly lazy and "out of time" even though they are on their phones all day. Sigh.

We only go to restaurants that serve cuisines we cannot easily prepare at home, like Ethiopian.

[Anonymous]

A LOT of it is just Sysco food

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A LOT of it is just Sysco food

This and Restaurant Depot. You can go and buy a nice fine gallon bucket of cole slaw or whatever. Plus ghost kitchens is another problem since some food isn’t even made onsite.

[Anonymous]

^^ Five