Posted on 10/03/2016 4:08:17 PM PDT by TigerClaws
We have around here two Grocery Outlets that are known commonly as the poor peoples’ groceries. They claim they post their cost on the shelves and the price is 10% more. Most things are as cheap at WalMart or cheaper and with better brands. However certain things like eggs are a third to half of what they are at WM and elsewhere and fresher. Produce is better and cheaper though more limited. My wife always refused to go in the place because poor folks shopped there. I reminded her that those poor folks presented better appearance than the WM people and were more polite to each other. She finally came in with me today and will be returning for those “some things.”
I can count the establishments I frequent on one hand.
Yeah, not everything at a Walmart is “cheaper”.
If I can, I try to stock up on loss-leaders in flyers, when appropriate.
Example: one local chain had Campbell’s Chunky Soup (big cans) for 99 cents. They’re $1.68 at Walmart all the time. I made a few trips to stores near each other - got 20 cans.
” and impossible to get the check when we’re done.”
I eat out several times a week with a friend (Two
grannies :-)——)
When they serve the meal I ask for the check right away since we will not be ordering anything else.
We pay cash,have the correct amount,including tip,and leave when we are ready to leave.
.
...and without the clueless waitress who, while staring at your empty glass, interrupts your conversation to ask, “Would you like more drink?”
SOUPLANTATION, I am not surprised at all!!!!!! I got so terribly sick the last two times I ate there. Nobody that works there even speaks English and who knows what is going on in the back kitchen/prep area.
I almost passed out, my neighbor wanted to take me to Emergency because I vomited everything up and couldn’t even get off my bed.
I used to eat there all of the time many many years ago but the quality of the food is very questionable now days. So sad! It is all just sodium and grease any more.
Kiosks are quickly taking the place of waiters/waitresses.
I just figured out the food cost per person for the year.
2.75/ plate isn’t too bad for us. Two growing kids, and alot of organic stuff that I cant grow in my location.
I could probably get it a bit lower, but I enjoy eating.
Here in WA we have a measure on the ballot which will raise the minimum wage in increments to $11.00 (2017), $11.50 (2018), $12.00 (2019) and $13.50 (2020), plus guarantee employees paid time off for family care.
It is being promoted in TV ads by stating that if wages are increased, then workers will have more money to spend which will lead to greater spending, greater employment, greater prosperity. Proponents naturally say nothing about increasing costs, higher prices, and decreasing profits (as if that matters). However, this is WA so watch for it to pass.
Here is anot issue that I have been trying to figure out.
Recent same store sales reports for chain restaurants show negative YOY growth. This is happening despite decent growth in restaurant retail sales (5.8% YOY vs 1.9% for all retail) and consumer spending (5.7% vs 3.6% for all consumer spending). Either everyone is eating at non-chain restaurants or there are too many restaurants opening.
Gosh, how could these guys be failing? After all, Obama has tried to help with his mandatory insurance plan and incentivizing workers by making the mandatory wage much higher.
I think it is due to rapidly rising costs.
Higher sales percentage is lower than percentage rise in food, labor, utility cost, rent.
Food cost alone is up about 10-15% in my area.
I live in Sarasota, FL. It’s currently the off-season (vs. snowbird season) but, still, restaurants and bars are uncommonly empty. If the snowbird season is weak, there will be mass business failures here.
And I always thought it was transportation! (Rail/trucks/ocean cargo shipping)
But maybe that’s because I’m a former trucker.
Out here the Grocery Outlet is known (with affection) as the Groce Out.
You can find some interesting stuff, some items about to expire, some the product of a failed marketing campaign. Shop often and keep an eye out, you can get some good things.
Someone tipped me off that after the 2014 6.0 earthquake in Napa, the "ruined" inventory of many wineries made its way to ... the Grocery Outlet. Restaurants shop there for cheap-but-good wine.
I am just talking sales, not profits, so food costs would not come into play. But wholeslae foods costs are actually down about 4% year-over-year. Things like eggs are down considerably (avian influenza affected supply last year, pushing up prices). Some dairy products have seen big declines.
Who can afford to eat out much these days? For a family of 4 or more, even a trip to Mickey D’s is expensive.
The high cost of food (it’s expensive to eat in these days also, at least if you want a little meat on the table) plus the killer cost of Obolacare are causing the profit margins to be cut to the bone and prices to be raised. You used to be able to take a family to one of the buffet places on the bankruptcy list and let the kids stuff themselves for less than $10 a person, but not any more.
I made a copy of your recipe on Microsoft Word and added “cookery” as one of the keywords for this thread.
when you're watching your pennies, eating out makes no sense...
eating out is still special to us...
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