Is it unreasonable to use discount vouchers in restaurants right now?

[KitKat1985]

Very quick one, we have a voucher valid until the end of August (which was given in January pre-Covid events) for a chain restaurant, offering 40% off the total bill. Is it unreasonable to still use this after the restaurants have been shut for months and probably struggling? I genuinely can't decide if it would be rude to try and use it or not.

YABU = Don't use the voucher. Help the business claw some money back and pay full price.
YANBU = They gave you the voucher. You should be free to use it.

Use the voucher, that's what it's there for and you'll still be spending money in the restaurant.

I'd check it's still valid though as they may have suspended pre-existing vouchers.

Use the voucher, but if the service is good, leave a tip for the staff based on the undiscounted price and spread the word about how much you enjoyed your meal through Tripadvisor, Twitter, etc.

People are loaing their jobs and cant afford to go out. Restaurants will only recover the more people go. Therefore even a discounted bill is still a bill for them and encouragement for people to go.

I’d use it - especially of otherwise ai wasn’t able to come.

A chain restaurant? It wouldn’t be ‘rude’, the staff don’t get a cut of the profits.

Okay general consensus seems to be that it's fine to still use the discount voucher thank you.

I think I'm a bit wary as I tried to recently use a free entry voucher for a local attraction (it was won as a Christmas raffle prize at my daughter's school) and the owner refused to accept it saying they couldn't afford to accept free entry vouchers right now as they were 'skint', and I think he thought I was taking the piss and it was all a bit awkward. So now I just feel a bit unsure what is deemed 'okay' and what is felt to be 'taking the piss' in regards to using discount vouchers etc in a struggling economy.

Call the restaurant ahead and ask.

If you can afford to ask (if it’s a real option) then don’t use it for the reasons you identified in your op.
If they’ll accept it then you’re entitled to use it but I for sure wouldn’t where I could afford full price.
Live central London and surrounded by shut restaurants and regular staff not seen for months etc.
‘Some money better than none’ argument all well and good if you’re struggling but doesn’t really hold water if you can afford not to use it.

if it's an independant and i could afford to not use it, i wouldnt.

if a chain, use it! staff don't get profit share, and you should put the £s saved into any tip (you should ask if they will actually receive them before putting it down though)

If it's a chain, they set their prices based on people using vouchers, so you'd be a fool not to.

Pizza express etc are struggling because there's too many of them, not because people use vouchers.