So when do people stop going out to eat?
 

I have a customer who owns 5 Mexican Food Cafes here in the Phoenix area. The past few years we've reprinted their menus 6 times...always to accommodate higher prices. Their typical cost now is about $18.00 per entree...Mexican food.

On a personal note I stopped by a McDonald's today and paid $4.96 for a large order of fries. There's got to be a breaking point for most folks.

I'm aghast at the prices of most restaurants these days. I'm in a touristy area right now, and I paid something like $28 for a burger, Dr. Pepper, and sweet potato fries yesterday.

My breaking point is about where we're at now. I'm actually eating out a bit less these days purely due to prices. I still go out semi-frequently, but I'm actually thinking about budget impacts these days whereas it's never been an issue in the past.

I don’t go to restaurants anymore but I still eat out your mom on the reg

Grocery store prices are up to, we're all just gonna starve.

1) Fast food is for suckers these days.

2) American portion sizes are too large.

3) Recently bought a nice toaster oven. Total game changer. Just eat half the portion of something reheatable and double up.

Its a really good question. I live in a touristy area, and a lot of places (bars, restaurants, taprooms , grills etc) are closing... because the costs of their supplies keep going up, and they can't afford to sell the food without making a profit...and yet no one wants to pay 22$ for a burger


The other part of the problem is labor. If you can find someone worth a damn, you're gonna have to pay them decent money even to flip a burger. I think even burger flippers get like 17-22$ an hour where I am at.


The 10 years of insanely low interest rates also made rents skyrocket because property values went up WAY higher than they should. If you look around and house prices have doubled in the last few years, then rent has also doubled.


Your question is a very good one, but if you see restaurants closing, you'll have your answer. Unfortunately that has already started happening here. Tourists are still coming, but a lot of local places are under extreme pressure.

Very generous of u!

We will all eat shit and die..

I know the majority here can't relate but don't even get me started on the price of a haircut these days.

I've noticed this strategy in a few restaurants where I'm a repeat customer. They're holding the line somewhat on prices but reducing the portion sizes.

My initial reaction is to frown at smaller portion sizes, but then I realize that past portion sizes were way too big. I'd much rather get smaller portions for the same price in most American restaurants, than to pay more for the previous large proportions.

I might make an exception for reheatable food like Thai food or Italian. But in those cases I know that I'm buying two meals at once.

Bon appetit. Nice to see you serve a purpose.

We have already cut way back, not so much because of the prices (although that certainly is a consideration) but simply because of the hassle. Everywhere we go, there’s staffing and quality issues. It’s really just not worth it anymore, especially since the cost has gotten ridiculous. I don’t find it enjoyable to pay 100 bucks for a meal when I’m just disappointed the whole time.

Much more enjoyable to cook at home. I’ve really expanded from just smoking/grilling to making a lot of meals on the stove the old fashioned way. We’ve been getting into some deep frying too which has been delicious.

Seems to me $18 for an entree at a genuine restaurant in a large metro area is extremely reasonable, but yeah $5 for a McD fry is a disgrace

And its basically the same here, fast food prices are COMPLETELY out of control, I can easily spend $20 at Taco Smell or wherever else if I really wanna stuff myself with crap

Yet if I just plan ahead a little bit and call ahead, I can go to our best Mexican joint and get a monstrous chimichanga, fajita platter etc with rice, beans, sour, guac, salsa and a large bag of fresh made chips for $15-16

Good hearty real food, its two meals if you want it to be... I wouldn't be complaining too much about $18 in the city

$1 any size fries on the MCd's app, fam.

My wife told me yesterday her favorite fast food is mcd's. After 24yrs I could have saved myself a fortune.

That's gotta be temporary, right?