To think hospitality industry rips us off

[Daygloboo]

We keep hearing about how threatened the hospitality industry is....business rates, small businesses taxed into oblivion etc.... but Im starting to think its just a giant rip off. I went out for lunch yesterday, 5 of us, to a country pub . The first 4 things people asked for on the menu they didnt have. ( It was becoming a bit like a 2 Ronnies or Monty Python sketch by the end " oh well, yes you see, we havent actually got that" over and over again) The water they brought was in a dirty jug. The seats of the banquet thing we sat on had stains on, the toilets, and indeed the restaurant itself, were really really cold, and there was an old local with literally one tooth standing at the bar half drunk who kept coming up interfering in our conversation....hugging my elderly mother and almost spitting in our food when he spoke. When we raised eyebrows, we were told by the( very flaky ) waitress that he was a ' harmless part of the furniture'. The food was nice but the bill was £200. I left feeling like we customers are all ever so slightly having the piss taken out of us by all these moaning restaurant owners. It's by no means the first time Ive felt like this after going out to eat either. And im not one of those moaning minnies who deliberately looks for faults just coz i like having a go either. Whatever happened to decent food at reasonable prices in a warm space with clean surroundings. Is that really too much to ask these days. I remember a time when reasonable quality goods and services was standard. You didnt pay extra for what should be basic good quality. Its all getti g a bit Emperors New Clothes. Anyone else finding this to be true ? I think a lot of so called ' business people' need to get their heads out of their arses.

Sounds like a very unfortunate meal out but certainly not something I’ve experienced. I eat out rarely but spend considerable time researching/getting recommendations beforehand as I can’t stand paying money to eat out and it be disappointing. Quality over quantity every time. Whereas my in laws eat out all the time and get disappointed but low cost is their main criteria and they won’t be convinced of the correlation.

sounds like you had a very disappointing time. I’d certainly leave a review so others can avoid.

YABU to think that all restaurants are taking the piss because you went to a shit one with shit service, shit food and shit staff.

If I bought one dud item from a shop I wouldn't go on to conclude the entire retail industry is crooked and trying to con us.

If I had a bad day at work I wouldn't deduce that all employers are evil Scrooges who want to work their staff to the bone for a pittance.

Just don't go there again. Millions of restaurants and pubs across the globe are fantastic.

Why didn’t you leave and go elsewhere when the state of the restaurant became apparent and then they started telling you they didn’t have most of the food available?!?!

Yeah that's probably true, but i've noticed that it's become a bit if a ' thing' to open a business these days. And not everbody has got the right attitude or the know-how. People think about profit and dont seem.to realise that the customer getting genuinely good value and good service is an important part of it. Ivw got nothing against people.making money but only if the customer is well treated. I think customers should put a stop to all the rip off behaviour going on and bad business. Customers are often treated as if we are there for the business instead of it being the other way round. There isnt enough consumer power. I wont go to tgat placw again but qw ahouls live in a country with better food standards in rhe first place.

I tend to agree with you OP. It’s expensive to eat out nowadays for a family and the last few times we ate out ad hoc at random places the service was not good and the food average, the loos pretty yuk and we felt ripped off a bit.
So now we have a posh pub and a mid range restaurant and a great Thai cafe we sort of alternate between as we really like them for warm service, good food and they are all warm and clean. Perhaps find a couple of pubs or restaurants you do enjoy and stick to them. They will be glad of your business and you don’t feel so ripped off. I do totally get how you feel though. I am amazed so many ropey places manage to stay open.

This.

YABVU to accept what was a poor experience then conclude from that the whole industry is ripping you off.

Just sounds like you chose somewhere shit for lunch to me. Some of the things (cold, dirty, weird locals) would have been evident when you went in, so maybe you should have abandoned then. Or when they then didn't have any of the dishes you wanted.

Exactly. I do know good places. I just wish, as a country, we'd be less tolerant of awful places and then maybe every Tom, Dick and Harriet wouldnt think they are capable of opening a 'gastropub' or whatever. It's getting a bit ridiculous. Not everyone can be Jamie or Gordon..I think it's the influence of the internet and TV shows. Far too many ppl thinking hey can do something just because they see pretty pictures of it on the web. Its getting daft.

I go to good restaurants, good atmosphere and food. But my word, the prices have shot up, so we don’t go out to eat very often now. Even the cost of takeaway is eye watering. I can afford it, but it’s the principle.

I’ve voted YABU because as previous posters have pointed out I don’t understand why you stayed and ate there when your surroundings were so cold/dirty/weird locals and most of the menu unavailable.

I get what you mean, OP.

Even when the restaurant is good I’m often left feeling ‘meh’. There are only a handful of restaurants I would willingly return to for the food.

This, and then complain that people put up with shoddyness. You should have walked OP.

Nothing new here I'm afraid, specials that are listed but never available, all the food is freezer to fryer/grill/microwave, poor service and premium prices. There might be somebody in the kitchen who's been to catering college but no way could be described as a chef, maybe a portion-controlled meal assembler. The sad reality of eating out in Britain. I judge by the menu, if there's loads of options for starters and mains it's not freshly cooked with fresh ingredients. Try these for size https://www.brake.co.uk/dairy/eggs/value-added/processed/great-british-egg-co-free-range-poached-eggs/p/149080?term=poached%20eggs then weep.

I stopped eating out years ago, due to having so many disappointing, but pricey meals. I only do so now, socially, otherwise I cook. Too many people are willing to accept the mediocre food that some of these places put in front of them.

I agree you were unlucky once so don't go back.
Prices of everything have gone up so we are all expecting more and more for our hard earned money.
My guess is with the items not being available it pissed you off and the rest you noticed after this first negative experience.
Where I work as a chef everything is cooked from scratch.
We are not cheap but our unique selling point is different freshly prepared food every day.
The staff are friendly too.There are plenty of decent eateries,pubs cafes.
Best to read reviews and scores on the doors for hygiene levels and hope this was a one off.

It sounds like customers had already stopped being tolerant of the place you went to given you were just about the only people there. You too could have voted with your feet - why did you stay if it was so unwelcoming?

The problem is there is no such thing as a cheap meal out anymore. The days of feeling you've not been ripped off are long gone so whilst you were previously willing to put up with basic service for a cheap meal paying through the nose for the privilege is not tolerable now.

I met a friend yesterday who I haven't seen for ages, went to a coffee shop and paid £4.50 for a hot chocolate. Then we went to a local restaurant well regarded in the area, I paid £29 for a burger and glass of prosecco the burger tasted cheap and nasty. I felt truly ripped off and even though I have the money aside from the odd treat like yesterday I point blank refuse to pay these prices anymore for shit food.

Prices will rise further with the increase in minimum wage and then rising energy costs - I imagine a large chunk of overheads is staff and energy.

In terms of £200 for 5 people - that's £40 a head, whether that's expensive or not depends on whether you were drinking alcohol & how many courses you had. Main and a coke plus tip - bit pricey. 2 or 3 courses and an alcoholic drink - pretty good price.

Thank you. Have you found eating out in other countries to be markedly better? If so, where and in what ways?

Because it sort of unfolds as you are there. It doesnt all happen the moment you walk in although, having said that, there was zero atmosphere and it was almost empty.

Really, I'm not concluding that the whole industry is ripping us off...or at least I dont mean to give that impression , but I do get the feeling there is more of it about. Years ago, I got the feeling cafes and restaurants actually meant to seeve food, however bad it might have been. Now, I think some ppl are in it for the wrong reasons. They thjnk it's trendy or cool, or they just want to make money and get a huge mark up.

Yes, this is what I'm trying to say. Of course there are great restaurants but I think a lot of them are pulling the wool over our eyes. I wish it was more like europe where you seem to get either high end restaurants, or good local, family run places with genuinely delicious home cooked food.

some establishments are good, some are shite but what I will tell you is all margins in hospitality are TIGHT. Demand is down, all costs are astronomically up. It’s getting harder and harder just to open the doors.

Businesses are having to pivot, adapt and overcome. Some are doing it well, others not.

I do agree that quality has dived across the board.

Yeah I do get you are saying. But it's also difficult when we were 3 ppl.meeting 2 others for lunch and driving quite a long way with no other restaurants around that you can just get up and go to. Realistically, you cant just start hoping around when you have limited time etc. Thats my point. If you go somewhere., you shouldnt get a crap experience and have to start rearranging things.