Since the Covid shutdown 5 years ago, I’ve been hearing constant complaints about restaurant prices, service, quality and experience. To add insult to injury, there are now ubiquitous and obligatory tip expectations for all “restaurant experiences” – including self service, delivery, drive-through, pickup and in person – with minimums often set above 20% – regardless of the quality of food or service.
I’ve seen numerous articles and posts about fast food meals now costing 2x-5x more than they did just a few years years ago. I’ve read about smaller portion sizes, mistakes with orders, meals never being delivered, mediocre food and high prices.
No wonder restaurants are reporting that people are eating out less. The pendulum has swung too far.
Restaurants are taking advantage of customers. They have pushed the envelope of acceptability to continue to maximize profits by pushing any increase in costs directly to the consumer (for labor, food, materials, deliveries etc.).
People are finally pushing back. They’ve had enough.
I don’t think this is new. I think it happens all the time. A company that has a high volume of business making a solid profit decides at some point they should make more money. They raise prices. They reduce customer service. They lower the quality and/or portion size of the product. They’ll continue to do this until they see a loss in business and profits that is too painful to bear. Only then will they reverse course.
We’re seeing it with McDonald’s in 2025. they are reintroducing Value Meals and promoting price drops because customers are unwilling to pay sit down restaurant prices for a McDonald’s burger and fries served by a disinterested worker at a drive-thru window. The same discounting is happening with Burger King, Wendy’s and Taco Bell.
In the meantime, some former customers have discovered that they can cook a meal at home that tastes better and costs less. Some of these customers (like me) may never return.
I’m not immune to bad shopping experiences. There have been times when I put up with repeat bad service experiences from a business. It’s either because it was my only option or because the prices were so low I accepted the shitty service trade-off.
But the second I can find an alternative, I’m gone and will never return.
I don’t like getting screwed over. If I believe a company has done this to me, I add them to my personal blacklist. They’ve lost my business forever.
Many times, I’ll choose to go without vs. putting up with inconsistent quality or service. It’s much less frustrating.
As for restaurants, I expect the pendulum will swing back eventually and people will return to eating out once again. People have been eating out for hundreds of years. I’ve read about taverns, restaurants and boarding house serving food in public places in accent Rome & Greece, Medieval England, BC and AD Europe. Most people enjoy eating and drinking with others. We like to socialize. We like entertainment, novelty and good food. We like the energy, camaraderie and celebrations that come with socializing over a meal.
It’ll come back – as soon as prices come down. And if they don’t, those restaurant will go out o f business and be replaced by ones that actually deliver what customers are seeking.
As for me, I probably won’t be joining in regardless. As much as I once enjoyed eating out with friends, family and even strangers, those chapters of my life have passed me by. I don’t intend to reopen them.
