Are you committed to helping restaurants during Trump’s tariff fallout?

[Anonymous]

Can we please not politicize the food forum?

[Anonymous]

I don’t understand this thread at all.
Who exactly are we trying to stick it to?
I haven’t been able to afford restaurants since Covid. The quality has gone down and prices gone up. A week ago we did go out for a special lunch with friends. $70 for mediocre coffee for 2, the worst chicken & waffles I ever had (and was not even what I ordered) and a very ordinary burger with fries. So no, I have no plans to eat at restaurants especially with job security and finances looking so bleak.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I'm kinda burned out on "helping" restaurants. The cost of eating out has gotten ridiculous and the quality, for the most part, isn't there. I'm happier eating at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not 100% a restaurant, but The Italian Store is owned by MAGAts. Love that place but I’m now committed to actively NOT helping them.

I would advise doing a little background research vs blindly throwing your money at a specific restaurant or other commercial venture.

Bumping this - how did you figure this out? Nothing pops on the owner’s donation history. Interested in how I can do better research - most people are smarter than to wave their MAGa flag in Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can we please not politicize the food forum?

Food choices can be political. And most of us in the DC area don’t have the luxury of burying our heads in the sand.

—-Family member of illegally terminated Fed worker, who sadly won’t be patronizing very many restaurants due to loss of income

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not 100% a restaurant, but The Italian Store is owned by MAGAts. Love that place but I’m now committed to actively NOT helping them.

I would advise doing a little background research vs blindly throwing your money at a specific restaurant or other commercial venture.

Bumping this - how did you figure this out? Nothing pops on the owner’s donation history. Interested in how I can do better research - most people are smarter than to wave their MAGa flag in Arlington.

Close friend of my kid worked there for a couple of years and mentioned it. Open Secrets confirmed.

[Anonymous]

Lots of small business owners are Republicans, and I'm looking at potential job loss, so I'm not supporting them unless they let me know they are supporting others and not just themselves.

[Anonymous]

I’m not going out to eat that much anymore. It’s too expensive. Want to support but I am also not getting value. Portions are small and price is up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can we please not politicize the food forum?

No
Because this crap affects all we do

It affects our children’s well being
It affects whether the US becomes Russia 2.O this is not a drill fool

[Anonymous]

We support non maga only
I ask before siting anywhere
Yes I do

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can we please not politicize the food forum?

No
Because this crap affects all we do

It affects our children’s well being
It affects whether the US becomes Russia 2.O this is not a drill fool

Oh stuff it!

[Anonymous]

How vacuous can you get? Corporations employ people. That includes corporations which own restaurants. The cooks, servers, and managers working in those environments are no less deserving of patronage than a locally owned single-site restaurant. That single restaurant is likely also a corporation, just not yet a big one. Do you object to the owner of the latter making a profit? If not, why object to the larger corporation and whoever owns it making a profit? Both are businesses. Businesses exist to make money for their owners and employees. Do you think the single-site business, if successful, won't become a bigger business some day? Or is your patronage limited to businesses which pledge to never grow and employ more people?

What utter foolishness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The margins are higher on soda than the food. Drink soda.

I am not understanding the soda logic at all. If you are ordering soda almost all the money you are spending is going to the restaurant. If you order food, at least as much money is going to the corporations that sold the ingredients to the restaurant.

I will also point out that a restaurant that buys from a local baker, or one that bakes their own desserts and sells them for people to take home will have a label. A label does not consistently mean what you seem to think it means.

Someone thinks not ordering soda is sticking it to Big Soda, but the reality is that soda has a 50-70% markup. Restaurants really hate when you just order a glass of water. That signals "cheapskate" to the employees not "health nut."

I’ll take “cheapskate,” because I’m not paying $4.00 for liquid diabetes. When I do order water, I up the tip as if I did order a drink, unless they call me a “cheapskate.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The margins are higher on soda than the food. Drink soda.

I am not understanding the soda logic at all. If you are ordering soda almost all the money you are spending is going to the restaurant. If you order food, at least as much money is going to the corporations that sold the ingredients to the restaurant.

I will also point out that a restaurant that buys from a local baker, or one that bakes their own desserts and sells them for people to take home will have a label. A label does not consistently mean what you seem to think it means.

Someone thinks not ordering soda is sticking it to Big Soda, but the reality is that soda has a 50-70% markup. Restaurants really hate when you just order a glass of water. That signals "cheapskate" to the employees not "health nut."

I’ll take “cheapskate,” because I’m not paying $4.00 for liquid diabetes. When I do order water, I up the tip as if I did order a drink, unless they call me a “cheapskate.”

drinks at restaurants are a complete waste of money. I’d rather spend my money on actual food. We always tip well. We eat out a lot and typically my kids only get soda, juice etc…at parties or holiday gatherings. My husband and I never drink anything besides water unless it’s alcohol at home. I much prefer spending $15 for a bottle of wine when the same bottle costs $50 at a restaurant. I respect and appreciate a good cook. But it doesn’t take any skill to pour wine or soda so we don’t go out for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We support non maga only
I ask before siting anywhere
Yes I do

Are you serious? Do you also ask doctors their political affiliation before you make an appointment?