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Our latest trip to Cracker Barrel was a huge disappointment. Our food was late to the table and cold in the middle. Obviously only reheating previously baked entrees. It had been years since our previous dining experience there, no reason to ever go back.
Restaurants, and even fast food joints, have jacked prices up ridiculously. I went to Arby's the other day and our order for 2 was $27! I used to eat at sit down places solo for lunch and it hardly ever came to over $10 for lunch. Restaurants are charging too much for what they are providing. Poor service, lack luster food, high prices, no wonder folks with limited funds are just eating at home.
Olive Garden: We go occasionaly, but they have gotten ridicuouly expensive for what you get. Just can't afford to go there much.
Cracker Barrel: We love going there, but here are the problems we see:
a. Menu change: They have cut several favorite items over the last few years that would appeal to seniors and replaced them with more "trendy" type items. Eggs Benedict on biscuits served with champagne mimosas from a can??? But they dropped small menu items like Corn Bread and Beef Stew.
b. Loud. As someone else mentioned. We've been going for year, but Cracker Barrel seems much louder now than in the past. Perhaps people knew to keep their voices down and speak normally back then but today people think everyone in the restaurant wants to hear them. Same acoustics but a different, noisier, crowd.
c. Service. Last few times we've been in service was slow. Much slower than before COVID. We've also noticed that there were long wait lines to get a table, but whole sections of the dining room would be closed. This is in several locations around the country. Probably related to how hard it is to get employees today.
Finally, and this really applies to most restaurants -- Value. Prices have gone up so the value in exchange for what you get isn't there. This really impacts our eating habits across the board. I've always heard price should be about triple the food cost. I've priced out the food cost to cook at home, even if I were paying Publix prices and you know the restaurant isn't paying near that. The price some restaurant is closer to ten times food cost. While I will happily pay for a high-quality meal, paying ten times food cost for a mass production reheated commissary kitchen meal doesn't fit.
Easier, cheaper and better for you to just eat at home. Not that much trouble to make something tasty for yourselves. The value vs cost in going to a restaurant just isn't there.
Restaurants, and even fast food joints, have jacked prices up ridiculously. I went to Arby's the other day and our order for 2 was $27! I used to eat at sit down places solo for lunch and it hardly ever came to over $10 for lunch. Restaurants are charging too much for what they are providing. Poor service, lack luster food, high prices, no wonder folks with limited funds are just eating at home.
I agree. It isn't the money; it is the principle of the matter. Arby's for two for $27 is out of line.
At the same time, I've read more detailed analyses of costs-of-ingredients for fast casual and junk food restaurants has gone through the roof since the pandemic. Add to that increased transportation costs driven by increased diesel fuel for heavy trucks and of course compensation for employees, and it adds up to Arby's for two for $27.
Frankly, I think the world would be a better place if such restaurants closed for good.
Olive Garden: We go occasionaly, but they have gotten ridicuouly expensive for what you get. Just can't afford to go there much.
Cracker Barrel: We love going there, but here are the problems we see:
a. Menu change: They have cut several favorite items over the last few years that would appeal to seniors and replaced them with more "trendy" type items. Eggs Benedict on biscuits served with champagne mimosas from a can??? But they dropped small menu items like Corn Bread and Beef Stew.
b. Loud. As someone else mentioned. We've been going for year, but Cracker Barrel seems much louder now than in the past. Perhaps people knew to keep their voices down and speak normally back then but today people think everyone in the restaurant wants to hear them. Same acoustics but a different, noisier, crowd.
c. Service. Last few times we've been in service was slow. Much slower than before COVID. We've also noticed that there were long wait lines to get a table, but whole sections of the dining room would be closed. This is in several locations around the country. Probably related to how hard it is to get employees today.
Finally, and this really applies to most restaurants -- Value. Prices have gone up so the value in exchange for what you get isn't there. This really impacts our eating habits across the board. I've always heard price should be about triple the food cost. I've priced out the food cost to cook at home, even if I were paying Publix prices and you know the restaurant isn't paying near that. The price some restaurant is closer to ten times food cost. While I will happily pay for a high-quality meal, paying ten times food cost for a mass production reheated commissary kitchen meal doesn't fit.
So no, we don't eat out as much.
Great post.
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