We eat out maybe once every 6 months.

Hasn't been worth it for 3 years.

Anonymous wrote:WSJ touched on this theme in an article yesterday about how people are shifting to eating mainly appetizers when they eat out to save on costs and now restaurants are changing their menus. Buried in the article was that average spend per check has declined at about half the restaurants and profits have also declined.

While places may seem packed, there's clearly more to it than meets the eye.

The fact is that upper middle class and rich are doing better than ever. They can eat out every meal and not care. They’re probably swiping an LLC business credit card when they do. And driving to the restaurant in a 6,000+ lbs truck for another tax scam.

Agree. We rarely eat it. It isn’t even the price. Food quality and service is just so bad at majority of places.

The only places I will eat out in are niche casual cafes that hand make their own small, specific menu (think, make their own breads, roast their own meats, make their own dressings and sauces, etc).

I have no desire to eat the Gordon/Sysco slop majority of restaurants heavily incorporate, plus charge more (but I wouldn’t eat even if free) plus bad service.

We cut back. We only eat at a sit down restaurant for special occasions. We still get takeout on weekends but it is pizza or fast casual. It’s gotten too expensive to eat out, the service is awful and it costs 20% more with tipping.

WSJ touched on this theme in an article yesterday about how people are shifting to eating mainly appetizers when they eat out to save on costs and now restaurants are changing their menus. Buried in the article was that average spend per check has declined at about half the restaurants and profits have also declined.

While places may seem packed, there's clearly more to it than meets the eye.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If you ate out so much that an increase in rice his breaking your bank you were eating out too much.

4people and r as men is $6 more is $24 … that broke the bank? :roll:

What is this hot mess?

The whole post was nonsensical gibberish.

While we do eat out less as a family now because often the food isn't worth it, restaurants appear to be doing very well in my town (not the DMV). And, as a PP mentioned, those that may appear to be less full are doing some brisk take out.

Maybe my taste buds have changed or something. Sometimes places surprise me, though. We picked up pizza from a new place recently for a school fundraiser. It was GOOD. So, my goal is for us to eat out less overall but continually try new places when we do eat out.

Anonymous wrote:

If you ate out so much that an increase in rice his breaking your bank you were eating out too much.

4people and r as men is $6 more is $24 … that broke the bank? :roll:

What is this hot mess?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes we've cut back on eating out. The restaurants are not going to make it.

Every restaurant I’ve seen is packed.

+1. People here are in denial. Restaurants are slammed.

-1. On Friday and Saturday nights, sure. There are multiple restaurants in my neighborhood which did well and were busy pre-2020 that look pretty pitiful when you walk past on a weeknight.

Our local Chinese place may look deserted but they do a brisk takeout business.

Last weekend DH went to a highly rated DC restaurant. It was early evening so it wasn’t crowded. The food was ok but the servers actively ignored us: wouldn’t fill up water, didn’t ask how things were or if we wanted another drink, no offer of dessert, slammed the bill down while we were still eating, etc.

I always tip at least 20%, but this place added 20% already - in very fine print - and of course put in another line for additional gratuity. Nope.

I used to love eating out. Restaurants were kind and of a hobby. Now, the food is ridiculously expensive and it isn’t good anymore. Even at old favorites. Restaurants were struggling over the pandemic and raised prices. They’re no longer struggling (the ones near me are packed, no matter the prices) but are still charging exorbitant prices for mediocre food. I definitely need a new hobby.

Ours is slammed. People yell at us for not being able to seat them or closing down the reservations.
Please stay home. We have no workers and we are overworked. It is the best money I have ever made, but there's a limit how much we can work. I don't think our food quality has gone down. It may have been the case right after shutdown and food delivered to us wasn't perhaps the best, but all good now.
I'm actually going there to eat with my family tonight. They have been asking for awhile now.

No we are not “cutting back”.

We did not eat out a lot because it’s terrible for your health.

Cooking is not a huge chore.

We still get sushi, chines, Indian take out occasionally and we go to restaurants for “family night out”.

I probably took out/ate out more during the pandemic to support our local economy.

If you ate out so much that an increase in rice his breaking your bank you were eating out too much.

4people and r as men is $6 more is $24 … that broke the bank? :roll:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes we've cut back on eating out. The restaurants are not going to make it.

Every restaurant I’ve seen is packed.

+1. People here are in denial. Restaurants are slammed.

-1. On Friday and Saturday nights, sure. There are multiple restaurants in my neighborhood which did well and were busy pre-2020 that look pretty pitiful when you walk past on a weeknight.