Eating out

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We are out every Friday with friends for dinner/ drinks and it’s gone from fifty/ seventy bucks a couple to ninety to a hundred. It will likely continue. My job means I’m in a restaurant daily , I won’t eat fast food because it will eventually kill you . If you have ever worked behind the scenes in a large restaurant and see the amount of salt and sugar in high end food , you will learn to love the salad .
I really like to cook , will have people in for dinner at least once a week , you control the costs and quality ( or hope to) . A really spectacular dinner for four at home can be pulled off for eighty to a hundred bucks , and no tipping lol.
For you other naughty thinkers , that “other” eating out ? That’s not free either .


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crankcall said:
We are out every Friday with friends for dinner/ drinks and it’s gone from fifty/ seventy bucks a couple to ninety to a hundred. It will likely continue. My job means I’m in a restaurant daily , I won’t eat fast food because it will eventually kill you . If you have ever worked behind the scenes in a large restaurant and see the amount of salt and sugar in high end food , you will learn to love the salad .
I really like to cook , will have people in for dinner at least once a week , you control the costs and quality ( or hope to) . A really spectacular dinner for four at home can be pulled off for eighty to a hundred bucks , and no tipping lol.
For you other naughty thinkers , that “other” eating out ? That’s not free either .


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One thing I like about having friends in for dinner is the relaxed mood. Busy restaurants want you to move on ASAP to seat others.

Had one too many? Sleep it off on the sofa.
 
nobbie48 said:
One thing I like about having friends in for dinner is the relaxed mood. Busy restaurants want you to move on ASAP to seat others.

Had one too many? Sleep it off on the sofa.
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We usually host as well for similar reasons plus our place is entertainment-friendly whether it's a kitchen or deck party so it just works out well for all.
Wife and I do lunch dates out and we'll look for interesting spots. Any michelin star is a no as I'll just leave hungry.
If I'm riding or running errands I meal prep and bring it.
 
GreyGhost said:
Cue the "if you can't afford to tip 25% at the new price, you should stay home and stop wasting the restaurant staffs time".
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Smart. Drive customers away by shaming them for not topping up their salary when they chose to work for an industry that refuses to pay proper wages and the staff is relegated to begging.

We used to eat out all the time, almost every meal. After hearing a waiter say something similar on the news during the pandemic, I got ****** and cut back on places expecting a tip.

Astoria (at least the Mississauga location) zero's out the tip before handing you the machine when you pick up your takeout. It may not sound like much, but it removes the awkwardness of doing it yourself while they watch you tap your card.
 
At least if it’s a couple you don’t need to worry about shitter space when your done that meal , ladies room for her , men’s for you .


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Relax> Smart. Drive customers away by shaming them for not topping up their salary when they chose to work for an industry that refuses to pay proper wages and the staff is relegated to begging.
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One ethical issue Aussies don't have to navigate. Hospitality staff are well paid here including super contributions which follow you from your first pay cheque.
11.5 % of wages are paid to the individuals super fund by the employer. That can be topped up by the employee to max of $30 per year. Earnings from the super funds are not taxed until withdrawn.
One reason tipping is not the custom in Aus.....staff are paid well.
Also one reason fast food are going to online and in store Kiosks for ordering etc to reduce employee time.

Total superannuation funds totalled 4.2 Trillion at the end of 2024 which keeps Australia in the "wealthiest nation" hunt.
 
Hardwrkr13 said:
We usually host as well for similar reasons plus our place is entertainment-friendly whether it's a kitchen or deck party so it just works out well for all.
Wife and I do lunch dates out and we'll look for interesting spots. Any michelin star is a no as I'll just leave hungry.
If I'm riding or running errands I meal prep and bring it.
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Thanks for the invites :P.
 
Prices really are insane now to go to a Restaurant. When me and the wife go out (we are both foodies, especially her as a chef) we get 2 drinks each (sometimes more), appetizer and a main. We just had our anniversary at a fairly nice Italian restaurant. She wasn't feeling the best so only had 1 drink, but still after tip the meal came out too $210.

Tip culture is another issue. I went to another restaurant recently where the options on the debit machine were 20% / 30% / 40%. Like seriously.....40% of the price of my meal as a tip? Even choosing 20% seemed too high for me.
 
crankcall said:
stop grumbling about being short on cash and get a job as a waiter
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We have some friends whose wife occasionally dips her toes into waitressing when they need some extra coin for a vacation or whatever (she has some sort of arrangement where she can come and go I guess), and their daughter also does the same.

On a good night it was not uncommon for either of them to bring home several hundred dollars in tips.

Honestly, I think if you are the type of person with a good personality, a sense of humor, and good service skills, you can honestly make a darned good gig out of it. I know that I tip better for people who are genuine and pleasant vs the “I’m only here because I have to be and I hate this job” fake sorts.

I’m sure that dealing with endless ******* customers all day every day can certainly make you jaded in a hurry, which is why I’m sure it takes a special type of personality to be able to stay bubbly and pleasant in that type of job.
 
For those looking to get together with friends at home instead of eating out. AND save a few bucks...

Years ago we used to do cooking nights, all were at my place but the chef for each night rotated through the group. The chef planned the entire meal, they bought/brought the ingredients and selected and bought the wine (keeping the wine not super expensive). The catch, everyone else acted as sous chefs and the chef for the night supervised the prep and cooking but had to be entirely hands off. Made for a great social night and with a diverse group people learned a lot of new cooking related stuff. The chef kept the receipts for the food and the wine and we all split the costs at the end of the night, at the time I think it averaged something like $20 each, today I bet it would come in less than $40.

Even though there was a range of people and skills there were only a couple of single dishes that bombed and even the non-cooks in the group stepped up with research and with experienced cooks acting as sous chefs gaps were covered--it made for some great meals.
 
Dr.Manhattan said:
Prices really are insane now to go to a Restaurant. When me and the wife go out (we are both foodies, especially her as a chef) we get 2 drinks each (sometimes more), appetizer and a main. We just had our anniversary at a fairly nice Italian restaurant. She wasn't feeling the best so only had 1 drink, but still after tip the meal came out too $210.

Tip culture is another issue. I went to another restaurant recently where the options on the debit machine were 20% / 30% / 40%. Like seriously.....40% of the price of my meal as a tip? Even choosing 20% seemed too high for me.
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Unless there is something exceptionally special about that type of restaurant, these are the ones that tend not to last very long. The last “Italian“ restaurant we went to I ordered a pasta dish with a fancy name that ended up being nothing more than pasta shells with red sauce and some Parmesan on top. I could’ve made it at home for probably under $5 for multiple servings, and it would have probably tasted better as well.

And same thing, that $2 serving of pasta was somehow $29.

As for management even having the gall to put a 40% tip option on their payment system, that would be an instant less than stellar review online as a result from me. That’s insane.
 
I don't care what the machine is preset to - I just press "other" if I disagree. Not as simple as pressing one button, but still way more convenient than handing them your card, waiting for them to return, and then calculating the tip in your head and writing it down with a pen that may or may not work.
 
PrivatePilot said:
Unless there is something exceptionally special about that type of restaurant, these are the ones that tend not to last very long. The last “Italian“ restaurant we went to I ordered a pasta dish with a fancy name that ended up being nothing more than pasta shells with red sauce and some Parmesan on top. I could’ve made it at home for probably under $5 for multiple servings, and it would have probably tasted better as well.

And same thing, that $2 serving of pasta was somehow $29.

As for management even having the gall to put a 40% tip option on their payment system, that would be an instant less than stellar review online as a result from me. That’s insane.
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This is a very high end Italian restaurant where you need to have a reservation or chances are you're not getting in. The menu changes throughout the year on whats in season and whats fresh. The cocktails are also amazing. Our waiter was fantastic - older gentlemen that lived in Italy most of his life. He actually went into detail on how the food is traditionally cooked in Italy and what specific pasta dishes came from certain towns in Italy. Me and the wife have gone there the past 3 years for our anniversary despite it being a 2 and a half hour drive ( Its in Winnipeg).

The restaurant with the 40% tip surcharge was a local restaurant that was more or less mediocre - meanwhile the high end Italian establishment had normal tip percentages of 18 / 20 / 22. Thats all restaurant dining, but if I want to keep complaining, even 2 combos from a local A&W came up to $40 something dollars, like wtf is that?
 
Dr.Manhattan said:
This is a very high end Italian restaurant where you need to have a reservation or chances are you're not getting in. The menu changes throughout the year on whats in season and whats fresh. The cocktails are also amazing. Our waiter was fantastic - older gentlemen that lived in Italy most of his life. He actually went into detail on how the food is traditionally cooked in Italy and what specific pasta dishes came from certain towns in Italy. Me and the wife have gone there the past 3 years for our anniversary despite it being a 2 and a half hour drive ( Its in Winnipeg).

The restaurant with the 40% tip surcharge was a local restaurant that was more or less mediocre - meanwhile the high end Italian establishment had normal tip percentages of 18 / 20 / 22. Thats all restaurant dining, but if I want to keep complaining, even 2 combos from a local A&W came up to $40 something dollars, like wtf is that?
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A&W burgers are good. Grass fed beef and a burger can be ordered with a lettuce wrap instead of a bun. The celiacs might like it and I like it for the different taste. A&W onion rings are actual onion rings. Burger King onion rings are formed out of onion flavoured mush. Stick with the fries but the zesty sauce is good. You can make your own with mayo, horseradish and a dash of hot sauce.
 
PrivatePilot said:
We have some friends whose wife occasionally dips her toes into waitressing when they need some extra coin for a vacation or whatever (she has some sort of arrangement where she can come and go I guess), and their daughter also does the same.

On a good night it was not uncommon for either of them to bring home several hundred dollars in tips.

Honestly, I think if you are the type of person with a good personality, a sense of humor, and good service skills, you can honestly make a darned good gig out of it. I know that I tip better for people who are genuine and pleasant vs the “I’m only here because I have to be and I hate this job” fake sorts.

I’m sure that dealing with endless ******* customers all day every day can certainly make you jaded in a hurry, which is why I’m sure it takes a special type of personality to be able to stay bubbly and pleasant in that type of job.
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A late aunt used to alternately work in a senior's home and as waitress at a restaurant. Her personality was more upbeat when she did the restaurant gig. Hanging around with young people has its benefits. Since this was a big generation ago and the restaurant was at Dundas and University, she regularly chatted with staff from CKEY radio including Lorne Green and a few other celebs that came in.

Ideally one should enjoy their job and if it's a full time job it deserves full time pay. Part of waiting is to make the customer enjoy the experience and that skill deserves a reward. If you don't have that skill another occupation awaits you. Moving on makes everyone happier.

By keeping wages low, many that would enjoy the work and do well with customers are kept from applying because smiles don't pay the bills at home. Trying to be cheerful while worrying about being able to pay the rent creates stress. If that cuts into the cheeriness it can become a downward spiral.
 
Server in a good resteraunt is a make a nice living job. Server in the Keg is a decent job. Dealing with drunks in a pub or crap tips at a mom/pop diner is the short way out of the industry. But not everyone gets to be a nice place server, somebody has to work in those dumps. The challenge for servers / sous/ even the chefs at Michelin resteraunts , your working wierd hours so all your circle become industry folks, and you drink and do coke. Its almost part of the 'dirty' business. The ones that sober up ( Matty Matheson) become very successful . The ones that never figure it out off them selves ( Anthony Bourdain)
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