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Original poster

Eat Out To Help Out - different menu, inflated prices

52 replies

LoveLastMinutesAndLostEvenings · 12/08/2020 00:58

DP and I don't eat out very often, but decided to take advantage of the Eat Out To Help Out discount to support our local pub yesterday. I'd looked at their menu online before because I can be a bit picky with food and decided on their burger, £13.50. When we got there and were seated they bought the menu over, and it was different to the one online. There was a burger but it was described differently - and £20, so £10 with the offer instead of the £6.75 I'd expected to pay. There was nothing on the menu that was on their online menu, so no prices to compare. I wouldn't have paid £20 for a burger pre-Covid!
I have to say it was a bloody lovely burger and I'm not complaining about a few extra £ for a business that is probably struggling right now. I'm just wondering if this is usual at the moment? What are your experiences of Eat Out To Help Out?

OP posts:
Totickleamockingbird · 12/08/2020 23:56

Our local favourite now ‘runs out’ of a popular option routinely. Turns out they always have it between Thursday to Sunday.

CoffeeRunner · 12/08/2020 23:59

DD & I went away for a few days Monday to Thursday last week and ate out each night (Monday to Wednesday). 3 different pubs & absolutely no evidence of price doubling. Each night we paid around £13-£14 for 2 main meals & a drink each. McDonalds or a chippy would probably have cost more!

LittleBearPad · 13/08/2020 00:00

@Alexandernevermind

Yes the prices have jumped up. We paid £70 for a Prezzo last week for 4 of us (2 adults, 2 teens). 3 courses and 2 alcoholic drinks (lager). It was a vastly reduced menu and a bargain at £70, but its terrifying to think that full price it would have been £140. We didn't begrudge it because they are probably trying to claw back from the massive losses over the last few months, but I certainly won't be dining there at £140 for a family meal.
No it wouldn’t. The maximum that can be deducted is £10 per person. It would have been £110 not £140

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heartsonacake · 13/08/2020 00:00

@Totickleamockingbird

Our local favourite now ‘runs out’ of a popular option routinely. Turns out they always have it between Thursday to Sunday.
Gosh, you’re cynical. If they’re extremely busy Mon-Wed then of course it’s likely they’ll run out of a popular option, particularly if it’s cheap.

Less visitors Thurs-Sun means they won’t.

YgritteSnow · 13/08/2020 00:01

I was looking to book a table at Bills today and seemingly you can only order from a special menu to eat there and get the deal. Really annoyed me actually so didn't book. Everywhere else we've been has been fine though. Pizza Express was the best. Three drinks, three portions of dough balls, two pizzas - £14.00! Booked again for next week.

notapizzaeater · 13/08/2020 00:04

I argued in Costa today, you can't get points or use gift cards with the promo.

heartsonacake · 13/08/2020 00:04

Each night we paid around £13-£14 for 2 main meals & a drink each. McDonalds or a chippy would probably have cost more!

@CoffeeRunner McDonalds is also part of the Eat Out To Help Out scheme, so no, they wouldn’t have cost more.

They’re already cheap at approx £4.60 a meal, so halve that at £2.30 and you’re looking at two adult meals for under a fiver, so about a third of what you were paying at those pubs.

Walkingtheplank · 13/08/2020 00:11

I went to Pret a Manger today - they had a lobster sandwich for £5.95 - for a limited period only. I've never seen it before so I guess they've tried to think of an expensive sandwich which they can sell for half price.

VanGoghsDog · 13/08/2020 00:17

@Alexandernevermind

Yes the prices have jumped up. We paid £70 for a Prezzo last week for 4 of us (2 adults, 2 teens). 3 courses and 2 alcoholic drinks (lager). It was a vastly reduced menu and a bargain at £70, but its terrifying to think that full price it would have been £140. We didn't begrudge it because they are probably trying to claw back from the massive losses over the last few months, but I certainly won't be dining there at £140 for a family meal.
It wouldn't have been £140, the "half price" is capped at £10 per person, and isn't off drinks.

So it's more likely it would have been £110ish, assuming the food came to £20 per person, which it probably did.

heartsonacake · 13/08/2020 00:20

@notapizzaeater

I argued in Costa today, you can't get points or use gift cards with the promo.
Makes sense. It’s very rare you can combine two or more offers.
AlwaysCheddar · 13/08/2020 00:23

Just worked out my bill using their online menu ... looks like they have inflated the prices literally so much - by over £30 for our meal! Really annoyed. Going to go there tomorrow and see if they have the same menu available. Loyal customers get shafted ... fuckers.

Legoandloldolls · 13/08/2020 00:23

Not noticed it myself, but I'm only going to my normal haunts. Just had a three course meal and alcohol for two in Zizzi for £30. They added a 10% tip but that seemed fair everything considered as you cant leave cash tips and it was contact less so no option to voluntarily tip

blacktop · 13/08/2020 00:30

@notapizzaeater

I argued in Costa today, you can't get points or use gift cards with the promo.

I get points every day in Costa.

Notcontent · 13/08/2020 00:30

I think a lot of places are doing this, which is very unfortunate, as they are being very greedy. And no, it’s not right, particularly given it’s our tax money that is funding the scheme.

SisterAgatha · 13/08/2020 00:34

I’ve done a lot and some of them are actually really properly adhering to the rules, and to social distancing.

I was in a restaurant tonight and a weird tax had been added to the bill so all in all I think it was only £4 off!

AngeloMysterioso · 13/08/2020 00:37

Well a local restaurant to me has gone the other way and reduced their lobster and fries from £29 to £20 so you can now get it for a tenner Smile

RyanBergarasTeeth · 13/08/2020 00:40

They added a 10% tip but that seemed fair everything considered as you cant leave cash tips and it was contact less so no option to voluntarily tip

But you can tip with contactless i did today. When the manager of the restaurant tapped into the card machine the ammount i asked her to add a £3 tip onto it and she did and i paid contactless :)

Lalanbaba · 13/08/2020 00:51

@Walkingtheplank

I went to Pret a Manger today - they had a lobster sandwich for £5.95 - for a limited period only. I've never seen it before so I guess they've tried to think of an expensive sandwich which they can sell for half price.
They had it last summer already, it was yummy but expensive. Our local pub seems to have the same prices as usual, only thing the kitchen used to close Mondays and now is Thursdays that is closed
Shopaholic100 · 13/08/2020 01:50

Was really impressed with Nandos, £28 for 4 including desserts, looking forward to going back next week. My friend had the same experience as you op at an Indian restaurant, the prices had increased and the portions decreased (regular customer). Restaurants who do this are very short sighted, customers will remember which businesses ripped them off and where not to return after the scheme ends.

Overall it’s a good scheme, I’m not sure I would have been enticed out to restaurants otherwise (we ate our frequently pre Covid).

Rockbird · 13/08/2020 02:08

There aren't any Nando's near us that are doing it. We tried to go on Monday but they were all takeaway only. We went to Pizza Express and it was fine. Very limited menu but half price for five of us.

Ilovefluffysheep · 13/08/2020 07:36

We've eaten out 4 times. Nowhere we've eaten has inflated their prices. It's given us an opportunity to try some local places for half price.

GlassMarble · 13/08/2020 08:23

There’s a local Thai restaurant near me that’s amazing and pre covid had a fantastic value ‘early bird’ offer that was £12 pp for a starter, main & side from a limited menu. Then they have their normal full menu.

Went this week fully expecting them to only offer the full menu on dine out but was chuffed to bits to find they were still doing the early bird - now at £6 per head for a beautiful full meal!

Some restaurants will take the piss. Other are honest and it’s made me appreciate the place even more. Booked to go back in 2 weeks.

Norma27 · 13/08/2020 08:27

3 of us went to a local independent Italian restaurant last night. Looked like it was the normal menu and normal prices.
Absolutely amazing food. We had a starter and main each, 3 bottles of non-alcoholic lager, one red wine and one bottle of magners. It came to £42. I will definitely be going back there.

lljkk · 13/08/2020 08:28

I expect prices to be up because they need more staff to deal with all the extra cleaning. Since I don't normally eat out, I don't know what the prices were before or if they are inflated. I didn't spend time researching the old & new prices since it wasn't relevant to my decision whether to eat at a restaurant.

Skyliner001 · 13/08/2020 08:30

@EBlyton

Yes some real piss takers! My advice is report them. I really sympathise with hospitality businesses they have really suffered but a few are defrauding our taxes. Same with furlough fraud. Dear ex boss I will be reporting you to HMRC.
I get that it's a boring but report them to who?