quote:

Originally posted by a1abdj:
[QUOTE]I'll pay more for quality but there comes a point when you are paying for the name and nothing more. To compete, US manufacturers have provide a quality product at a reasonable price. $98 for basic jeans is not that.

^^^
I agree we need a fair playing table. But $12.99 Costco jeans vs $98.00 jeans stretches that concern to the breaking point.

quote:

Originally posted by 4x5:
I took my wife, daughter and son-in-law out to a new pizza place Friday night. Two pizzas, one order of bread sticks, and 4 root beers. $107 (with tip).

You are generous, sir.

Two old diners (not connected in any way with each other) within 10 miles of me. Both have increased prices a bit and reduced menu options. One cut their side selection in about half. The meat and three daily specials dropped fried chicken from the rotation.

One thing that really baffles me is they went from 7 days a week to 5... both places... with the SAME days closed, Monday and Tuesday. Seems to me everyone, the businesses and customers alike, would benefit if they would stagger closed days. If they weren't busy EVERY day that they open it might be different.

quote:

Originally posted by cparktd:
Two old diners (not connected in any way with each other) within 10 miles of me. Both have increased prices a bit and reduced menu options. One cut their side selection in about half. The meat and three daily specials dropped fried chicken from the rotation.

One thing that really baffles me is they went from 7 days a week to 5... both places... with the SAME days closed, Monday and Tuesday. Seems to me everyone, the businesses and customers alike, would benefit if they would stagger closed days. If they weren't busy EVERY day that they open it might be different.

I suspect they looked at their tills and saw that Monday and Tuesday were their least profitable days. No dinky little restaurant has room to take risk these days. They have to follow their profit, not hazard a guess that maybe since joes down the street is closed, everyone will come here. All honesty, they probably can’t afford the risk. I will say almost every restaurant here has modified their hours, and if I were a new restaurant opening I’d try out those Mondays and Tuesdays. But not an established place with regulars that come at set times expecting a meal.
The local Macdonald’s just started hiring no skill set at $16/hr, and the local biz down the block gave everyone a $1 raise JUST TO TRY and keep up.
This is FUCKED.

Little place near me sells kolaches and donuts. I'd stop by on the way to work and grab a breakfast taco on a regular basis. It's a mom and pop, not a chain. And they were open during all the COVIDiocy. Put plenty of money in the tip jar. Went there a couple weeks back and their prices had doubled overnight. Can't afford to go there much any longer. I've noticed a LOT less traffic at that place since. Used to be the parking lot was full and people lined up at the counter and a line at the drive thru. Now I see maybe one or two cars in the parking lot. With people getting hammered at the grocery store and the gas pump, they have to cut back somewhere. Eating out is a luxury. One that's becoming less and less affordable.

Even Cracker Barrel has cut back on their menu and changed classic in the past 2 years. Doesn’t seem near as busy at any of them. Prices are higher like everywhere but it’s still pretty affordable compared to a lot of places.

The hotel I have worked for for the last 32 years has a small breakfast and lunch cafe in it. Our operating costs have risen by approximately 30%. Some of that is from higher delivery fees and gas surcharges. We are barely covering the cost to keep it open. Trying to find people to work is near impossible and they know they can walk down the street and get hired immediately if they aren't happy. A lot of the restaurants around here have gone to a shortened week because they just can't find staff. And yes, Mondays and Tuesdays are typically the slowest days so that's why restaurants close these days.

We have had to take items off the menu that are just too expensive to serve.

quote:

We decided to go eat there with the kids last night, Saturday night at 7 and it was clearly apparent that something was wrong. It was DEAD inside. One waitress on duty and maybe 3 other tables when we sat down.

PASig----Stuck watching 'commercial' tv the past few weeks so I took to studying the commercials (18+ minutes per 30)and of note is youthful and middle aged crowds of people shopping at the street level shops, dinning out and -big-smiles-.
The verbal message being to Go out and shop & spend. The time is better now to support local businesses' Don't come home till you have helped the economy.
Make what you will of it--to me it is one small step from the 1950's movies inserting sub-liminal messages. There is a law, but today it applies less when you are in control of the media (esp. the web).

quote:

Originally posted by Oz_Shadow:
Even Cracker Barrel has cut back on their menu and changed classic in the past 2 years. Doesn’t seem near as busy at any of them. Prices are higher like everywhere but it’s still pretty affordable compared to a lot of places.

There is one in a city we stop at, after my doctor appointments. The food used to be fresh, and cooked properly. A pleasure to eat there.

But this year, portions are smaller, the menu smaller, and no "specials". And the food is overcooked. Part of this could be the cook, part of it, inflation.

May quit eating there.

quote:

Originally posted by shoevb:
The hotel I have worked for for the last 32 years has a small breakfast and lunch cafe in it. Our operating costs have risen by approximately 30%. Some of that is from higher delivery fees and gas surcharges. We are barely covering the cost to keep it open. Trying to find people to work is near impossible and they know they can walk down the street and get hired immediately if they aren't happy. A lot of the restaurants around here have gone to a shortened week because they just can't find staff. And yes, Mondays and Tuesdays are typically the slowest days so that's why restaurants close these days.

We have had to take items off the menu that are just too expensive to serve.

^^This is exactly what I’m seeing here. Hours modifications, menu modifications, and horrible staffing issues- staff really is dropping like flies. Example: insurance is almost impossible to afford for a small biz, and everyone believes this is an absolute must have THROUGH your employer- and it’s a deal breaker for a potential employee when the small biz is trying to “compete” with a big box when it comes to job security and bennys. A small biz can either pay you that $18-$20/hr to compete OR give you a more manageable wage AND health ins. Not always both. You just can’t always afford to match it when you’re trying to simply stay afloat these days. Even an HRA isn’t good enough..
Ultimately, this is a perfect storm for the destruction of all small business. You’re just seeing it first at the restaurants, because they are more “visible”, and you need food every day! The other mom and pops will just quietly disappear, because you only visit them once or twice a year.

It’s destruction of independence.

All of this, including energy policies. Far easier to monitor, regulate and turn off your electricity.

Blackouts for the Midwest have already been announced for the summer. Maybe that with no baby food and fertilizer…

Even the destruction of families through the sex-alphabet groups via sowing seeds of distrust, fear, radicalism in our children through government indoctrination camps (called public squirrels).

The goal is an even greater society where everyone is dependent on the government. This is how they secure permanent power.

How many times do we have to see cultural revolutions played out on the world stage to foment totalitarianism?

quote:

Originally posted by SIGnified:
It’s destruction of independence.

All of this, including energy policies. Far easier to monitor, regulate and turn off your electricity.

Blackouts for the Midwest have already been announced for the summer. Maybe that with no baby food and fertilizer…

Even the destruction of families through the sex-alphabet groups via sowing seeds of distrust, fear, radicalism in our children through government indoctrination camps (called public squirrels).

The goal is an even greater society where everyone is dependent on the government. This is how they secure permanent power.

How many times do we have to see cultural revolutions played out on the world stage to foment totalitarianism?

Nail meet hammer. The fabric of America has been being chipped away at for years it's just being accelerated now. Major professional sports teams used to be uniquely American. Sundays were planned around your favorite NFL or MLB team. Family and friends gathering by the millions to BBQ and watch the big game. Then the cancer of politic infested it and millions have turned away from it. The fabric was shredded a little more another piece of Americana died. Then Covid restrictions. A little test run on how much restrictions would the average American accept if a little fear was put in them. Sadly we found out. Test runs are for a purpose.

Now your choices of when you drive and what you drive and where you go and how often are being limited by pricing you out of those choices. Eating venues and menu choices are being whittled away at. Choices at the grocery store are limited by shortages and are even further limited by what a individual can afford.

I know many here feel it's going to be a Democrat blood bath in November and I hope and pray you are all right about that. All things considered I will not be entirely if at all surprised if that is not the case.

quote:

Originally posted by 4x5:
I took my wife, daughter and son-in-law out to a new pizza place Friday night. Two pizzas, one order of bread sticks, and 4 root beers. $107 (with tip).

Were those pizzas four feet across?

Topped with caviar?

That is some expensive pizza.

Good large pizzas around here start at $35 bucks apiece.

If I were to make my own Chicago style it might cost close to $80 just for ingredients. Crayzzee

But I pretty much stop eating pizza in the last 10 years as much as possible. So much flipping gluten.

quote:

Originally posted by SIGnified:
It’s destruction of independence.

All of this, including energy policies. Far easier to monitor, regulate and turn off your electricity.

Blackouts for the Midwest have already been announced for the summer. Maybe that with no baby food and fertilizer…

Even the destruction of families through the sex-alphabet groups via sowing seeds of distrust, fear, radicalism in our children through government indoctrination camps (called public squirrels).

The goal is an even greater society where everyone is dependent on the government. This is how they secure permanent power.

How many times do we have to see cultural revolutions played out on the world stage to foment totalitarianism?

I watched a documentary the other day on Saul Alinsky's attack on the Catholic Church (and society as a whole) entitled A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing. I found it on EWTN. I would highly recommend it as it shows exactly the above. I've always known he was a rotten SOB, but have come to believe that he was Lucifer incarnate. It is remarkable how much destruction one evil man brought about...and continues to, fifty years after his death.

Indeed. I think the bigger picture is critical.

Why are we 27th in the world in education when we spend the most money? Political agendas.


All you have to do is look at the outcomes and realize they don’t come close to traditional American values.

If you want to keep America the wonder of the world we have to reverse these goddamn communist progressives.

A) Unless you mainly eat pasta, I cannot see how your grocery bill isn’t up by at least 50%.

Commercially, chicken and eggs have skyrocketed.

Labor/rent/taxes is an untenable situation for most restaurants. (Local and state governments now take 1/3 of the profits of most restaurants.)

We now have 5 flavors too expensive to wholesale. (We have some very established customers who are still paying, but we aren’t taking new customers for those flavors.)

The only place to really push is servers, since no government will ever reduce spending, until collapse, and the voters are far too happy to balance the local spending on the backs of hospitality.

Automation will help/reduce the strain of the work.

The biggest issue is a lack of diversity and competition among processors, mainly for grain.

Meat processors work on a tight margin, but there’s a tremendous shortage of the.

(Flour mills operate at some of the highest margins known.)

Not sure how eggs work. I know egg farmers usually do better once they switch to meat chickens, but I think the main issue is egg farms need to be much larger to pay, relative to meat chicken houses.

quote:

Originally posted by Aglifter:
...but I think the main issue is egg farms need to be much larger to pay, relative to meat chicken houses.

And another one recently burned to the ground. That gets mighty spendy too.

quote:

Originally posted by Aglifter:
A) Unless you mainly eat pasta, I cannot see how your grocery bill isn’t up by at least 50%.

Commercially, chicken and eggs have skyrocketed.

Labor/rent/taxes is an untenable situation for most restaurants. (Local and state governments now take 1/3 of the profits of most restaurants.)

We now have 5 flavors too expensive to wholesale. (We have some very established customers who are still paying, but we aren’t taking new customers for those flavors.)

The only place to really push is servers, since no government will ever reduce spending, until collapse, and the voters are far too happy to balance the local spending on the backs of hospitality.

Automation will help/reduce the strain of the work.

The biggest issue is a lack of diversity and competition among processors, mainly for grain.

Meat processors work on a tight margin, but there’s a tremendous shortage of the.

(Flour mills operate at some of the highest margins known.)

Not sure how eggs work. I know egg farmers usually do better once they switch to meat chickens, but I think the main issue is egg farms need to be much larger to pay, relative to meat chicken houses.

Where I shop, all produce is locally sourced, as is beef. Probably as a result of this, produce is up, but not much, probably 5~10% and beef is up perhaps 20%. Last week jalapenos were 99¢/lb, russet potatoes were also, green onions 50¢/bunch, artichokes 2.50/ea, red onions 85¢ each, asparagus 1.99/lg, broccoli crowns $1.49/lb. These are essentially the same price as they were a year ago.

What is up is canned, boxed and bagged stuff in the center aisle. Don't know how much though because we buy very little that's canned, boxed or bagged so that has little effect on our bill. We prefer meat and vegetables and we want it fresh.

My local supermarket still has managers specials on meats and bakery items and we buy quite a bit from there. Typically it's 40~50% off because it's at its "expiration date" so we bring it home in quantity and vacuum seal it and store it in one of our freezers.

I manage a ~1.5 million dollar ingredient budget for a medium size food service operation. The average cost per case for our 30 most purchased items is up 32% since October 2019.