Meal Prices Are Crazy!

Meal Prices Are Crazy!

I know inflation has taken a chunk of profit from business and yes, they have to work twice as hard to make what they made pre pandemic but lately prices being charged at restaurants is crazy!
The mind set of management is to compensate for high prices is to charge higher prices to the customer. In theory it sounds ok, but when you go out to eat recently, look at what you're paying? It's not gradual increase but a sticker shock increase.
On top of that they are requiring a mandatory gratuity charge and the cost of soda and coffee is a hefty increase. I see what management has to do, trying to cover price increase in their supply chain. BUT, is that the right way to approach this problem? Yes, the pandemic killed all merchants and even put some out of business and when it was all over, there was an opportunity to get back to making money but then inflation hit so overall it was a slow start, a double whammy!!!!!
But the real victims are the customers who frequent these establishments that take the brunt of all the hits! Today they're getting less and paying more. It's not worth it but if you're going out to eat to socialize maybe its ok.
So, what are merchants doing. They're substituting ingredients that are cheaper, glamourizing their health benefits while maximizing profits. 
The customer is saying, I know these ingredients being used for the dish and are doubly amazed at the price for the dish. Soda is $ 3.00? Coffee, $3.00? You got to be kidding. My view is this. Maintain a modest price increase that's fair. You might not make as much profit, but you'll get the volume of customers. The more customers, the more profit, however small it is growing. You get a steady customer base and through time with a little increase your customer base is growing. As for the vendors who supplies the ingredients. If the vendor is not helping you and all you hear from them is well, the supplier I'm getting it from is charging higher, so I have to do the same, remember there are lots of vendors out there. Choose one that is willing to work with your business.
The other avenues out there, shipping food companies only has a fraction of the public interested. Yes, convenience is key but the overall food quality if fair and the price being paid is so, with next day service prices ridiculous.
Frozen dinners? Other than the front picture, they're terrible. It's whatever excess surplus the food manufacturers have and try to sell it to make some kind of concoction of a dish. 
So, what happens, more and more people are enrolling in food classes, learning the ins and out of the food business and realizing that they are not so concerned with your health but the bottom line growing, and you'll return to buy their products again. High preservatives, additives, nitrates, sugar, sodium, any chemical that will make their dish delicious. I see it in my classes. My students are learning to eat better, more nutritious methods and ingredients and they see the difference. They admit that it's a 360-degree lifestyle change but mixed with exercise blood pressure down, blood sugar down, cholesterol down, more energy, feel good, positive, less stress. I can go on and on, these are testimonials that I get from my students. Eating a different way but only if you want to.

Chef Woo Can
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