The continuation of being dumped on in Restaurants needs to end.

Restaurants need to be creative to retain and hire employees. They have to offer MORE. For example-any chain restaurant that is traded under a corporate umbrella on the stock exchange should offer some sort of deal on it's stock for an incentive to the people who actually serve, cook and bus the tables. . Instead-the CEO's and other top employees want to make millions of dollars in salary and stock options.

Sometimes-business is not rocket science and the answers are there.
Correct, the answer is there, but none of them are going to give up their lake houses or their Benzes. The folks in the ivory tower are so out of touch with the customer experience, and the employee experience, all they can see is the bottom line. If it isn't good enough, cuts are made down below. Heck or high water, they're going to get their bonuses.
 
Correct, the answer is there, but none of them are going to give up their lake houses or their Benzes. The folks in the ivory tower are so out of touch with the customer experience, and the employee experience, all they can see is the bottom line. If it isn't good enough, cuts are made down below. Heck or high water, they're going to get their bonuses.
I think we’re blurring a couple of lines, here.

Most restaurant owners are small business people. They don’t have stock options, bonuses, Mercedes, or lake houses, and they work far in excess of 40 hours a week. I frequent those types of places, where the food is excellent, and so is the service.

Now, if we’re talking about the big chains, then we’re not using the word “restaurant” in the same way.

Olive Garden is nothing like Sirena - a local Italian place, owned by an Italian (Fabio) with wonderful food and excellent service.

Fabio runs a restaurant. Olive Garden is much more like fast food.
 
It never fails. You try to walk in a Walmart or especially a Costco and large families or large people just stop in the doorway and look around. A busy place like Costco, where you know you need a membership card to get in, they walk in the front door, go whoa where's my card and look for it while people with carts pile up behind them. I've gotten to the point where I say Excuse you for standing in the front door.
I will push through them at this point. People are f'in morons.
 
Or maybe this can be a catalyst to learning how to cook at home.
It'll be healthier, taste better, and save you money.
So true, I’m always underwhelmed when I try giving eating out another try. The food, not as good as I would get it home. The cost, not even close. The blowhard group sitting in the next booth, no thanks. The whole experience leaves me lacking and wondering how many meals I could buy for what I just threw away on an unsatisfactory experience.
 
I think we’re blurring a couple of lines, here.

Most restaurant owners are small business people. They don’t have stock options, bonuses, Mercedes, or lake houses, and they work far in excess of 40 hours a week. I frequent those types of places, where the food is excellent, and so is the service.

Now, if we’re talking about the big chains, then we’re not using the word “restaurant” in the same way.

Olive Garden is nothing like Sirena - a local Italian place, owned by an Italian (Fabio) with wonderful food and excellent service.

Fabio runs a restaurant. Olive Garden is much more like fast food.
Yes-but Olive Garden is a good example of a "restaurant" (or whatever term you want) owned under a corporate umbrella that could offer MORE to it's employees.
 
As a data point - I’m heading out to dinner right now with Mrs. Astro. The place is called “Hot Tuna”. It’s local. Food is quite good. Service is typically good. Ambiance is good. Because of that consistent level of service and care, they’ve been here a long time.

It’s a nice place. We supported them during the pandemic, because, to be quite frank, we wanted them to survive.

They’ve returned the favor with many enjoyable evenings.
 
Had a positive experience at Papa Murphy's today. The have a $6.99 medium 2 topping pie for $6.99. Man it was good . Fresh pepperoni and their new ground sausage. Every thing was perfect. See, it's possible.
 
Had a positive experience at Papa Murphy's today. The have a $6.99 medium 2 topping pie for $6.99. Man it was good . Fresh pepperoni and their new ground sausage. Every thing was perfect. See, it's possible.

I‘ve heard of Papa Murphys but they don’t have any down here.
 
Correct, the answer is there, but none of them are going to give up their lake houses or their Benzes. The folks in the ivory tower are so out of touch with the customer experience, and the employee experience, all they can see is the bottom line. If it isn't good enough, cuts are made down below. Heck or high water, they're going to get their bonuses.
I´m thinking of Steak N Shake, was much better under Gus(founder) now that it has been ran by Big Liar, Sardar Biglari, same guy who tried a hostile board takeover of Cracker Barrel. Under his leadership, the company is understaffed, menu reduced, franchises closing.
Free fries during the pandemic(no purchase necessary) and a triple steak burger and fries for four dollars, when beef shoot up in price.(each sale had to be loosing 2 dollars loss leader!) bleeding franchisee profits.

When you walk into a SnS you see Sardar photo with SNS managers, Heil, mein Führer! Even has his script signature on the sign out front, egotistical.

Now the menu is like trying to compete with Culvers(butter burger noted) and compete with Mcdonalds on price! Self Serve kiosk, they do NOT bring out the food. Cold lonely empty dining room.. At least the food quality has been maintained. If Mcdonalds would come out with steak burgers, SnS would cease to exist.
 
We quit going out years ago. The cost keeps escalating, the portions are getting smaller, and the whole experience has lost its overall appeal.

Most all of the fast food is an overpriced grease pit. And I'm sorry, but I'm not going to pay $60.00+ for a "petite" Filet Mignon.... Especially if everything that it should come with is ala carte. (Which translated means additional expense).

That's insane. When I can buy the same steak at Walmart, only larger and every bit as tender for $18 bucks. Restaurants have simply lost their appeal. I'm glad that I am not dating today. You'll go broke doing it. "Dinner and a movie" now comes with a 30 year mortgage.
 
In the last month my Lady Friend and myself have eaten out 8 times. 5 of the 8 have been below average and just horrible. The quality of the food and the prices being charged are not on a equilibrium, where the quality is degrading while the prices are going up. I am now to the point that I call the manager over when presented with a cold, poorly prepared or lukewarm entrée.

At IHOP a couple weeks ago I received a stone cold waffle with room temp syrup which was chilly. The waffle was on a plate that felt refrigerated. The price for a waffle was $10.05 The manager was called over and would not even replace the waffle. After Karen ate a few more bites of her coolish food we told the waitress we were not intending to pay for our meal. She said we could just leave and nothing would happen I handed her a Abe Lincoln and we got up and left. Apparently it happens often.

Last evening we went to a family owned BBQ joint, 3 tables in the place had patrons. It was early. I ordered a small burnt end platter. Again another meal that was barely above tongue temp. The french fries were cold, nasty unblanched "Natural Fries" (curse you 5 Guys). The waitress replaced my cold fries with another baskets of barely warm fries. Still not happy I asked her to replace my fries with some beans which were hot and tasty. Didn't order beans at first being in mixed company. Used the bean juice to warm up my burnt ends. My bill was $18 and I gave a $5 tip just because someone cared just a little. I think she yelled at the kitchen crew after the second basket of cold fries.

And I hate to say our favorite local chain (4 locations) sit down place for comfort food is starting to slip. I received refrigerator cold mashed potatoes along with my Open face Tenderloin which was fine and assuming it used the same gravy, even hot gravy was no match for the refrigerator cold potatoes.

Honestly the best meal this month was at Wendy's. Around here they usually quite good. The secret, hot and properly prepared. Even my $1 Sausage and Egg Biscuit at McDonald this morning was wonderful along with 2 sausage biscuits and a unsweetened Ice tea. Again hot and properly prepared The 2 sausage biscuits are to make Biscuits and Gravy tomorrow or Tuesday. .

After last evening we made a pact to not pay for crappy food anymore. This aggravates us to no end. And I know she is not above making a scene. She lives on Social Security and I strive to make ends meet on it and not dive into saving for eating out.

This happens so often, I am thinking of making printed business size cards explaining why I am disappointed. Hand it to the server and ask that it be delivered to the manager or owner.

Off my soap box for now.
Wow around my area service is still good and I rarely have an issue with food quality or temperature.
 
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My wife and I haven’t been to a sit down restaurant since the summer. A new western saloon style thing came into town that looked fun to try. The building and setup was awesome. Food not so much. Felt sick for the rest of the night and it was very expensive.

We did steak and scallops on the charcoal grill last night. Had macro brewery beers and a bottle of wine from our favorite local winery. Home with the pets. It really doesn’t get much better than that IMO.
 
If you guys think restaurant food quality in the USA sucks, try Canada. Wow that's some bad. Even places that have rave reviews. But never really had cold food served to us.

We eat out because we like to travel, but you know we like to find places with a kitchen for a reason, Even when we were in Italy, not much better than finding great fresh ingredients and cooking them up. I am so glad my parents and grandparents all showed us how to cook, wife same thing. But never too late!
 
My wife and I haven’t been to a sit down restaurant since the summer. A new western saloon style thing came into town that looked fun to try. The building and setup was awesome. Food not so much. Felt sick for the rest of the night and it was very expensive.

We did steak and scallops on the charcoal grill last night. Had macro brewery beers and a bottle of wine from our favorite local winery. Home with the pets. It really doesn’t get much better than that IMO.

And the pooches get some scraps of steak.

Was that saloon style restaurant very busy when you went there ?

I’m interested in seeing photos of this place, what’s the name of this place ?
 
We quit going out years ago. The cost keeps escalating, the portions are getting smaller, and the whole experience has lost its overall appeal.

Most all of the fast food is an overpriced grease pit. And I'm sorry, but I'm not going to pay $60.00+ for a "petite" Filet Mignon.... Especially if everything that it should come with is ala carte. (Which translated means additional expense).

That's insane. When I can buy the same steak at Walmart, only larger and every bit as tender for $18 bucks. Restaurants have simply lost their appeal. I'm glad that I am not dating today. You'll go broke doing it. "Dinner and a movie" now comes with a 30 year mortgage.
The reason you pay more at a restaurant is all the overhead. They have to pay staff, rent or mortgage, insurance, water, electric, gas, licensing, food sanitation courses, purveyors, loss from breakage, laundry, etc... Restaurant margins are around 5%. So most of what you are paying goes to keep the place open.
 
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