£100 for a casual lunch out for 4 is too much

[GrealishGoddess]

Deeply middle class problem but. Anyone else noticed that you can no longer get out of the likes of Bill’s, Wagamama, Pizza Express, etc , with two teens, for less than £100. Is this just inflation, NI effects, price gouging, what? AIBU to stay home?

@Letsgoroundagainnow

It’s not disordered eating to say that no one would be starving after eating a pizza!! It’s stating a fact!

Completely agree OP - I've been thinking about this quite a lot, though through the lens of not just eating out, but other 'treat' type spending which I'm quite radically re-evaluating in quite a sudden way... We are in the top 10% of households for income so not exactly impoverished but still feeling the need to quite radically change spending habits as a result of massive hikes in cost of living - both essentials and treat type things (which I would class as eating out, new clothes you don't really need, fancy toiletries etc..). I'm basically far far pickier about eating out - would only go somewhere I know is going to be completely delicious and great service.. I read an interesting blog recently about how customers are much much ruder and more demanding in restaurants these days, and wonder whether this is connected to people being much more stressed about getting their 'money's worth' than they were in previous years.

I'm not getting out the tiny violin for myslef and though I'm moderately nervous about the direction of our economy, but I'm much more worried for the many many restaurants/shops/cafes that will surely go bust if there are others like me out there (and I'm assuming I'm not alone in this shift).

Its not a fact, its an assumption. When my lot were teens one PizzaExpress pizza would have left them with plenty of room. I would have been the same at that age, for most of us the teenage years are when we need to most calories and have periods of being constantly hungry.

Its also just miserable to go out as a family but then say “everyone needs to have the same pizza so we can share to save money”. As pp say, I’d rather eat at home than go out and carefully pick the cheapest items on the menu and the one pizza everyone likes so it can be shared.

It’s not a fact it’s an opinion‘

Stop talking nonsense.

@Letsgoroundagainnow

they wouldn’t be starving. That’s not an opinion , it’s a fact. They have just had a good calorie intake so they are not starving. They might be able to eat more, most of us can even after a meal. But starving - no. Fact. Not sure why this irks you!

The rapidly rising minimum wage is pretty much at the root of all of this.

The rock bottom rate now for the pot washer aged 21 and over is £12.21 per hour. It is almost impossible not to earn £5k a year on that rate, even when you're very part time. Then the NI contributions kick in. When that's the cost of the pot washer, the 'jump' to line chef doesn't equal much more per hour, but there still needs to be at least a few pence more.

The teenage girls clearing plates used to be paid around £3-5 per hour back in the early '10s. Now they are on £7-10 depending on 16-18 age.

If you've got teenage children and wondering why it's hard for them to find part time work - this is why. The business may as well pay £12.21 for someone older, with more availability, less laws around their working hours, better flexibility, experience etc etc.

It seems as though many people hate the apps for payment etc, these have all been bought in to reduce the staffing. If a server need only take orders and not worry about bills and taking payment they can probably handle an extra 5 tables or so in their section. Which means across the board you can run with less staff per night.

We can't have it both ways. If you want everyone - really, everyone - to have a fair livable wage then this is what restaurants cost now.

It’s not ‘too much’. It is what it costs. If you don’t want to spend that for a ‘casual lunch’ go to McDonalds or stay at home.

I didn't eat out when I was a child because we were poor. Even for those richer than us, it was an infrequent treat. It's become normal to eat out and people think it's something everyone should be able to do frequently. Perhaps it's moving back the other way.

Because people with disordered eating posting all their views that have not been asked, is very irritating? I can’t be the only person who you irk, I mean this post proved it.

q. Is £100 a lot for four people

a. You don’t need a pizza each, you must have worms or be greedy.

Keep on topic, it’s boring hearing about your teeny tiny meals and no one wants your view on the menu.

@Letsgoroundagainnow

do you actually know what disordered eating means? Because me saying that to be “starving” after eating a full pizza to oneself isn’t typical is not it!

No way would my teenagers be able to share a pizza!

Have you heard of The Fork? I've used to it several times for half price food at restaurants. We don't go out for food that often when not on holiday but we went out last night and it was 50% off food at a local Indian. 2 adults and 2 teenagers, £45 for all of us which included 2 teas and a soft drink too. Everyone was stuffed.
Without a discount we occasionally go to our local pizza place and the pizzas are far superior to PE and it about £12-£14 per pizza. With drinks etc and a charcuterie board to share for starters is around £80.

I don’t see a point of going out for dinner and coming out hungry.

Yes the family might not be starving but the point of going out is to eat a complete meal with the requisite calorific content so they don’t need to go home and raid the fridge.

Do you actually think that people are eating too much because they have worms?

You started speaking off topic and I believe that points to you have an eating disorder, why does it come round to the amount of food your think people should eat when dining out?

@Letsgoroundagainnow

yes, some people do over eat because they have worms! But more often people overeat just because they like food and it tastes good. I’m really not sure what your issue is - these are basic statements that everyone knows , hardly the markers of an ED! You must think an awful lot of people are suffering with an ED if your threshold is so low!

Had this recently for a birthday meal. Pizza Express. 4 adults pizzas, 2 glasses wine, 2 soft drinks, 1 shared pudding, 1 dough ball. £110 - i luckily had an enhanced blue light card boost off food, valid on a sat which took the bill down to £90. I was quite shocked.

My issue is, in case I haven’t already made it clear

OP didn’t ask your opinion on how much she was eating whilst eating out?

Mind your own business and comment on threads that ask your opinion on how much should we eat? If that’s what you want to talk about. Or start your own thread.

It irks! You’ve derailed this enough with your “view”, did you even answer the actual question?

🤣

tbf the portion sizes in most places are massive, most people would really struggle to eat a full pizza to themselves, so you can take leftovers home for another mean. Can easily cut down to a pizza between two with a side each and halve the price.

@Letsgoroundagainnow

not sure why you’re rounding in on me - see above! People can post what they want on threads you know! Who are you to determine what does and doesn’t constitute an appropriate post?!

I suspect you haven't eaten in Pizza Express lately. The pizza sizes have reduced. They are (very) thin based and light on the toppings. They certainly aren't somewhere you are likely to need a doggy bag!

I must be greedy then, I can eat a full pizza to myself wherever I go 😂

🥱!

You’ve derailed enough and that post was after mine anyway.

HTH?

@Letsgoroundagainnow

It helps LOADS! Thank you so much. I will contact my GP re my disordered eating asap.

Excellent, also ask him about not imposing your views on others when not asked for, whilst you’re at it?

Yes, people underestimate just how much low pay and zero hours contributed to making it cheaper to eat out and or access many the services which used to be “occasional” for anyone but the well off.

Of course, low pay and insecure hours (for adults) often results in needing state support to keep their own bills paid and a roof over their heads. All our taxes subsidise businesses which rely on rock bottom pay.

I’d rather they had the self respect from earning a living wage in their own right, even if some services become occasional rather than routine (or sharing one plain pizza and a glass of tap water - some “occasion" that would be).