And how about these breakfast-only places? How the hell do they survive? Their rent and utilities don't take a break, just because they're only open for breakfast/brunch. There's one next to my range and there's always a line .... on weekends .... until they close around 2pm. I can't believe they do enough business on Sat. and Sun. to cover the rest of the week.

The biggest shift is that the “meat and three” lunch counters can’t make it anymore.

The places which were say $20 for lunch, might be $25-30, but the working class places are now $20.

Breakfast is, far and away, the most profitable meal, and the easiest to sell to customers.

It’s about the only time restaurants are really busy, anymore

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
egregore's post just above, reminded me of a Thanksgiving, must have been right around 1970. I took some guests to Ireland's, one of the top seafood restaurants in Chicago at the time.

Dinner for five: $127.00

$127 in 1970 is worth $1,060.44 today. Steep!

Was at our local Chili’s tonight, it’s a place our kids like and voted on tonight plus it’s relatively cheap compared to eating out a lot of other places.

Well, let me just tell you I think something finally has broken.

This place used to be MOBBED on a Saturday night at 6 pm and you’d end up waiting a bit for a table. Tonight it was like a ghost town and I think I know why. Prices are WAY up on their menu again. Fajitas are like $29 now. Even the “3 for Me” deal that was $10.99 is now $12.99

Most burgers are like $17 or more now.

I don’t think people can afford to eat out anymore and they’re all staying home. Going to be fun to see what happens with the restaurant industry as a whole over the next few years.

I hardly ever go out, because I'm cheap. But for my birthday a few weeks ago I went out for lunch. Filet Oscar, French onion soup, no sides or appetizer, two old fashioned. $147 with tip for lunch for one person.

quote:

Originally posted by Rick Lee:
And how about these breakfast-only places? How the hell do they survive? Their rent and utilities don't take a break, just because they're only open for breakfast/brunch. There's one next to my range and there's always a line .... on weekends .... until they close around 2pm. I can't believe they do enough business on Sat. and Sun. to cover the rest of the week.

There is a sub shop near me in South Florida, rent is sky high here and it's in a plaza where rent would be above average. They're only open 11-4pm, closed on Sundays. I ate in there a few times, wondering how they can justify the rent without being open for 2 meals like the rest of the sub shops.

I talked to the couple in their 50s I always see working, was talking to the guy and he mentioned he was from Canada, sold their auto repair business there, they immigrated here a few years back and bought the sub shop as a retirement business and to help with getting citizenship etc. So they only care that it makes somewhat of a profit. I have known of a few retirement businesses over the years like that. Usually you can tell by the limited hours.

In your case the customers are like their friends, they come in for breakfast and to chit chat, they make some money, and they have the rest of the day to do whatever they want.

There's another one at the far end of the same shopping center that's open for lunch and dinner, but closes at 8pm and won't let anyone order for dine-in past 7:30. Their food is so awesome, but I hate getting chased out of there. They're rarely crowded and sometimes downright empty on a Friday night. Last time we sat down to order and the waitress told us it'd have to be to-go only, I finally had a Larry David moment. I said, "This place is empty, I am hungry, love the food here, have money burning a hole in my pocket and I don't want take out and then to drive home to eat. Can you really afford to be chasing customers like me out of here?" That went nowhere. So we left, walked across the lot to the sushi place and spent about 3x the money, but had a good meal. I'm convinced that place is just a front for getting visas for family members.

We try to look for places that have happy hour. Have to eat a little earlier on some cases but we don't mind. The hard part is finding a place that has happy hour that is the bar since we our kid with us.

You can eat for fairly cheap at Chili's, they have vastly improved their food and service

Had a burger and fries yesterday that was outstanding for $13.99

Wife and I don't eat out just to eat out. I eat out and seek out great food no matter if it is upscale or a hole in the wall. In fact, most hole in the wall places outshine many of the upscale restaurants.

If you are paying up just for the atmosphere, it'd better be for a special occasion...anniversary, birthday, etc. Otherwise, use Yelp and find a better spot.

My wife and I went to a wedding in Missouri and Yelp found us a great local bbq spot and a great breakfast spot.

We have a local chain restaurant that has appetizers that are 1/2 price except 6-9pm....decent enough to get us to stop in occasionally for wings, quesadillas, etc...has cut the bill from about $130+ to about $75ish for four people if we don't add on desserts. Top notch? Nope, but no one comes out hungry.

We have drive thru burger place that does really good combo meals for about $16...local owners, nice people, I usually give them a $20 and tell them to keep the change. Good enough to be a repeat customer under current conditions.

$.02 worth/YMMV.

Boss

quote:

Originally posted by BigSwede:
You can eat for fairly cheap at Chili's, they have vastly improved their food and service

Had a burger and fries yesterday that was outstanding for $13.99

There's one that's $10.99 that comes with salad and soda. I had it a few weeks ago. $14 with tip. Better and cheaper than McDonald's.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
I hardly ever go out, because I'm cheap. But for my birthday a few weeks ago I went out for lunch. Filet Oscar, French onion soup, no sides or appetizer, two old fashioned. $147 with tip for lunch for one person.

You eat REALLY well at home dude! I've seen the pics and much (most?) of what I've seen looks DAMN tasty, and a lot better that what you'd be served in most restaurants! You might want to cut down on some of those unnecessary carbs though...