Anonymous wrote:

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.

Could you share a gift link, please?

I read this article the other day. While I suppose people are looking to save money, I have a different perspective: my DH and I share apps mostly because food portions are so enormous, and we are in our 50s and don’t need to eat like that. We will often sit at the bar, order drinks, and share shrimp cocktail and a salad. A regular salad is waaay too much food, and I do’t like to save dressed salads for another day.

When we lived in Europe, they used to serve what I thought of as “right sized” meals (i.e., a 5 oz steak, 1/2 cup rice, small salad, and a 1/4 cup dessert). No restaurant in America is going to do that because Americans, with the ‘Costco buy-in-bulk to get more for your money mentality’ would never spend their money like that.

We will eat out at least weekly. While I mostly cook from scratch, I also work full time and sometimes I just want to enjoy a meal that I didn’t have to make.

I do eat out less but I feel like the exception rather than the rule. And it seems as though every new commercial space is a food concept.
Maybe it’s a generational thing. Among my younger neighbors and coworkers, no one cooks. Eating at home just means ordering Uber eats. Every meal, including coffee for breakfast.
To each his own. More power to the restaurants if they can charge more and keep their seats filled. I make awesome pizza, Chinese, Thai food at home. My 2024 resolution is to learn to make my favorite Indian dishes.

I am still doing fast food or fast casual because my kids like it and I use it as a cooperative incentive for things. However, I limit it otherwise. Ordering Chinese food for New Year's Eve if going to be like $150 bucks! But we're splitting it with my parents so ok.

I do like to cook new dishes at least for myself. Hello Fresh is a better value than restaurants and lightens the mental load almost as much.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Yep

Bidenflation. There will be huge layoffs. McDonald’s will be the only thing left. I really feel bad for restaurants where people work really hard and then on top of it the financial squeeze they are under. It must be a living hell for managers and owners for most restaurants.

As a teacher, I get a lot of Starbucks gift cards. I no longer use them to purchase drinks there. I buy bags of coffee there to make my own at home.

We still do a lot of dinner takeout 3-4x a week from our favorite restaurants. All other meals and coffee are made at home. When we go to eat at restaurants we usually skip appetizers, desserts, and alcohol. That keeps it affordable for us.

Anonymous wrote:*are getting more empty

But, are they really?

*are getting more empty

We used to eat out a lot more but prices have gone through the roof . I noticed that the restaurants aren’t getting more and more empty. I think we’re gonna start to see a lot of them close their doors.

Anonymous wrote:I get takeout more often than I’d like because cooking feel’s unmanageable after a long day.

But at the end of the meal I often feel like the food was meh and not worth it.

We do plenty of easy meals like ramen with tofu. Any other quick or frozen ideas that aren’t pizza?

Salmon, rice, veg. Dinner in 30 minutes.
Chicken thighs and veg on a sheet pan. Dinner in 40 minutes.
Steak, steak fries, salad. Dinner in 30 minutes.

There is literally no excuse for not cooking. It's always faster, cheaper, healthier, hotter, and tastier.

Is it the price gouging with real estate rents that's causing this? I feel like the commercial landlords in Bethesda are to blame for the awful restaurant and business scene in Bethesda, the low quality of food and the density of huge chains. It's really disgusting.

Totally agree. The tipping is out of control. All the machines for take-out now ask for tips, 15% minimum. It's insane.

I get takeout more often than I’d like because cooking feel’s unmanageable after a long day.

But at the end of the meal I often feel like the food was meh and not worth it.

We do plenty of easy meals like ramen with tofu. Any other quick or frozen ideas that aren’t pizza?