AIBU about the price of soft drinks in restaurants?

[ThisMustBeMyDream]

As a family, we rarely eat out any more (due to the cost and the restricted menus post covid). This summer we visited family around the country and as a result had a couple of meals out for the first time this year. I was absolutely shocked at the price of soft drinks - specifically fizzy drinks like coke or fanta. One place charged £6 per drink! Not bottomless refills. One bloody drink!
How can they charge that?! For us as a family of 5, it would be £30 for a round of drinks. Most times we'd have 2 drinks. £60 on soft drinks?! Fuck that shit! We all had tap water instead. Are most families refusing to pay these prices?

I have started having free water out of principle as it’s a joke.

I haven’t noticed restricted menus since Covid? Where are you eating out as I’ve never had a £6 Diet Coke! They’re usually maybe £3.30- £4

I've also never seen them that expensive, but I believe you and that's far too much.

Yes I bring my own in a bag and have a sip now and again.

I don’t understand what you mean by restricted menus post covid, menus are the same wherever we eat, varied, and we eat out a lot. Can you explain?

but yes drinks can be expensive,

I usually just ask for tap water. It's much better for you than Coca Cola, Appletiser or Fanta anyway - and J2O just tastes like cheap, watery squash, so I avoid that as well.

A vast majority of Restaurants have 100% cut back on the variety on their menus post covid due to food costs.

You tend to have menus for which the back bone will all be pretty interchangeable ingredients to help manage food waste / bulk buying / staffing costs.

Source: Hospitality Professional here who is living and breathing the challenges of running modern hotels / bars / restaurants 😂

Yes. £6 is extremely steep for a soft drink, unless it is a bottomless refill. I'd have to be desperate to pay that. I usually scan the menu to check prices are reasonable before getting settled anywhere, I'd walk away at those sort of prices.

Never spent on drinks like that even pre Covid- maybe a bottle of wine - but never soft drinks or juices for the kids - too expensive

can buy a multi pack of fruit shoots or cans of coke in supermarket instead

but we still go out and enjoy the food with water 🤷‍♀️

I actually don’t really care - it’s up to you what you order and if you think too pricy then don’t order it

I usually get water too. Soft drinks are expensive. I’ve also been caught out with mocktails with are often almost as expensive as the equivalent cocktail.

Might as well think fuck it and have a glass of wine 😁

Seems reasonable to me. The profit margins on food are very low, drinks are where they make most of their profits. If restaurants didn’t mark up drinks then more of them would go out of business and you’d all complain about that too.