Anonymous wrote:No because it’s usually crap anyway. I do often share an adult meal with my child.

+1

Depending on portion size, I've sometimes shared one adult entree with my two small children (one of whom is super picky and unlikely to try more than a bite or two), and we still had leftovers to take home. I will always let them order off the adult menu if they want to, partly to combat the aforementioned pickiness. Would be great if they could eat things other than a cheese quesadilla or chicken nuggets.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i will if i am allowed. i am tired of restaurants offering meals fit for two or more people. i just want to eat a normal small amount of food and not have to take home half of it because it is doesn't really age that well.

So much this! Why must portion sizes be so large? I don't make a plate of food that size at home; why should I eat it in a restaurant. Went out for ice cream last night and a small = 2 scoops. No I don't need or want 2 scoops of ice cream. I ordered one scoop. Apparently that's a kids size. So be it.

It’s because of the economics of the restaurant industry and the average American’s willingness to pay the real cost of a restaurant meal. For most things, the cost of the good itself is a pretty small part of what you’re paying for - most of the cost to the restaurant is overhead and labor costs, which don’t change with the portion size. As a result, restaurants effectively have to set menu prices based on all of those other costs, and then adjust the portion size to the volume customers expect to get for that price. Restaurants could cut portion sizes in half while keeping their prices the same and their profit margins wouldn’t change dramatically at the same volume, but they would get far fewer customers in the door.

This is especially true are lower-end restaurants where entree prices tend to top out around $20. If you go to a nicer restaurant where the entree prices start there, portion sizes tend to be more reasonable because it’s a different clientele that is willing to pay more for the experience.