Aibu to wish they would extend “eat out to help out”

[Mummypig2020]

Just that really.

🐷🐷🐷🐷

"I find it isn’t that cheap unless you stick to just a main and a glass of tap water! Yesterday’s Italian dinner cost me £30, one starter, a main and a small glass of wine"

Ine isnt in the scheme, that's been widely advertised. I'm not sure how that cost you £30. An Italian meal I would expect main to be about £10 to £15 at the most and starter about a fiver. Maybe the wine a fiver too. That comes to £20 for food. So how was it £30 with the discount? I dont think the restaurant you went to was in the scheme, and sounds like it was an overpriced restaurant to start with. otherwise your food alone would have been £30 if you guess you had a tenner off,?

Oh dear I dont think you've understood that you have to check they are registered

Lol. Of course they were registered Orchidsindoors, you have misunderstood me. If your meal is over £20 you will only get £10 off not half price. My meal was £30 so still cost £20. Large glass of wine, tea and tip made up the other £10. Everywhere I have been has been registered, it's just a tenner is a drop in the ocean if the place is quite pricey anyway and you fancy a drink.

"Even if it's not strictly 50% off it's still £10 a head which goes a long way even in a nice place"

I dont think this is true. Its 50%off, up to a tenner. So if your meal is £10, you get £5 off. You dont get it for free. If your meal is £20, then yes, you'd get a tenner off.

"Not if you're paying just for yourself it doesnt. The times I've been out I've just met friends so my share of the bill doesn't seem much different"

It will still have been 50% off. But if you had wine and you dont usually, that would have increased your bill. Alcoholic drinks arent included in the deal.

Weve eaten out about 6 times, each time checked they were registered and got 50% off up to a tenner each. We worked out weve saved just over £100 so far

If you dont normally eat out midweek though you havent 'saved' anything. In fact youve spent hundreds of pounds that you wouldnt normally spend.

We did it with an extra 25% off for using their app - 5 mains abs puddings with drinks for £20 amazing.

"Lol. Of course they were registeredOrchidsindoors, you have misunderstood me. If your meal is over £20 you will only get £10 off not half price. My meal was £30 so still cost £20

Well there you go, you went to an expensive place where your meal was £30, so you got a tenner off. That's good isnt it? Blimey, a tenner off is good. Of course it's going to cost you still £20. I dont know how you can moan at that, the wine was youd choice to add on, and so was the tip, that doesnt mean the deal isnt good.

. Large glass of wine, tea and tip made up the other £10. Everywhere I have been has been registered, it's just a tenner is a drop in the ocean if the place is quite pricey anyway and you fancy a drink.

@FinnyStory

I'm not sure TBH. DS works in McDonalds and for their restaurant, last week saw the highest profit ever. I'm not really sure that's good use of taxpayer's money.

Not when obesity is such an issue.

It should only be available on lower calorie options.

"42XiCi

"Weve eaten out about 6 times, each time checked they were registered and got 50% off up to a tenner each. We worked out weve saved just over £100 so far"

If you dont normally eat out midweek though you havent 'saved' anything. In fact youve spent hundreds of pounds that you wouldnt normally spend."

Nope. We were on holiday, so a massive saving. Plus over lockdown we'd have normally eaten out quite a few times as there were a lot of family birthdays in that time, so yep, weve saved loads of money.

"Not when obesity is such an issue.

It should only be available on lower calorie options."

Now, this sneering at McDonalds re obesity does wind me up, they've made far more effort than most. Their meals don't have more calories than the average meals in other restaurants and it's much easier to find a healthish salad or wrap there than in your average coffee shop, for example. Big Mac = 508 calories. Costa brie and bacon panini = 517

"It makes me laugh the people who think they're helping the economy simply by eating a really cheap meal at a restaurant."

But they are helping the economy, if they are spending in a restaurant. Their money helps the restaurant owners and their staff. Those staff then go on and spend their money elsewhere. Every little bit helps. They are helping more than those who stay at home. And if course they then may go on to buy other stuff whilst out in town. I dont know why you'd belittle people for that.

Haven't used it once tbh

I'm not moaning Orchidsindoors just saying, as pp have, that it doesn't always make big difference, it's not a massive saving. I think the 50% thing is deliberately misleading as most people spend over £20 on food and the drinks are an expense that are not included. Most people enjoy a drink with a meal. The restaurant I went to last night was just a local one and not particularly expensive. Being on holiday will obviously make a massive difference with lunches and evening meals out, but for people at home it's not so much of a bargain!

Its just nice to be out and about again, sitting in restaurants, eating nice food, chatting with friends. I'm under no illusions though that this is a financial gain for me. I'm out there spending my money as the government want us to do but a tenner off here or there isnt a saving to me if im eating out 3 times a week when I'd normally be at home. So I've enjoyed it, im not moaning , but it's not a big cost saving exercise for me. Must be great if you are on a uk holiday though, I can see how that would make a difference

It makes me laugh the people who think they're helping the economy simply by eating a really cheap meal at a restaurant.

Well it's helping my local economy. Lots of my local, independent coffee shops and restaurants are participating and it's great to see them busy again.

Honestly, I think £20 on food each is ridiculous. Most mains are a tenner, if that. Granted, some places go up to £12, but I never pick those as think it's too much. I tend not to have starters as it's too much to eat, and I dont drink wine. So for me, for a party of 4, where noone drinks alcohol, wev'e found it's been great. Granted if you normally spend big money on a meal and drink loads, you probably dont spot the difference.

I have used the scheme as we were on holiday so would have been eating out anyway.

I wonder for how many people "Eat out to Help out" was their first experience of eating out post-Covid restrictions?

If for many people it was the incentive that got them back in a restaurant for the first time, it may have broken down a fear barrier that will now allow them to do different things out and about. If that is the case, then it may have long term benefits.

I am not sure whether it was the best way to do it, but neither do I know what would have been.

@FinnyStory

"Not when obesity is such an issue.

It should only be available on lower calorie options."

Now, this sneering at McDonalds re obesity does wind me up, they've made far more effort than most. Their meals don't have more calories than the average meals in other restaurants and it's much easier to find a healthish salad or wrap there than in your average coffee shop, for example. Big Mac = 508 calories. Costa brie and bacon panini = 517

I'm far from singling out McDonalds, I assure you! Sorry if it came across like that. Most people I know who eat out more than once a week seem quite 'rounded' in shape to me, and some of them eat in some very swish restaurants.

I'm pretty sure this is the real aim of the scheme. To get people out andin other shops, and confident starting to go to more indoor places generally.
Of course it is. People see that eating in a restaurant is safe and nice and continue to eat out, go to shops etc from September. Therefore boosting the economy and keeping those people in jobs.

It makes me laugh the people who think they're helping the economy simply by eating a really cheap meal at a restaurant
They are helping the economy. They're keeping a business open which might otherwise close. They're keeping the staff in a job. This helps the economy because that business and staff will be paying taxes and wont be claiming benefits.

It's raining here today so I drove the kids to a local pub. But they turned us away as we hadn't booked. So we went to the garden centre next door. Queued for 15mins wearing a mask with 3 small kids. They hadn't been in any shop since March so were quite excited. I hated wearing the mask. The place was souless and the whole experience was pretty shit really!
I only wanted to think of somewhere to take kids in the rain where I wouldn't have to wear a mask.
I'd rather pay more and and it be less busy.

If they extend it, my waistline will extend.

I'd rather pay more and and it be less busy.

But I am assuming that until now you hadn't gone out, at least with the kids as you say They hadn't been in any shop since March so were quite excited.

It sounds like now you might go out again, so potentially the scheme has worked.

I see what you mean but I am not going out with the kids again as long as mask wearing is required. Not to a garden centre!

15:28DipSwimSwoosh

"I see what you mean but I am not going out with the kids again as long as mask wearing is required. Not to a garden centre!"

You might not be going out with them for a long time then. Kids under 11 dont need masks, but I'm guessing you meant you were wearing one and they werent? Yes most places on the scheme need to be booked and most are full.

I work in hospitality. Luckily thurs -sun. My colleagues have been rushed off their feet as the place is rammed. We’re a mid price country pub I’d say. So nibbles / starters between £5-£10, mains between £12-£24, sweets £6. As a pp says upthread, it’s brought out a number of customers who expect a great deal for their 50% / £10 off. Thankfully the minority of customers, but they’re moaning about having to give details for track and trace, complaining that they can’t just order egg and chips or a cheese sandwich, and can’t believe they have to order off the menu rather than choose their own dishes. Then poring over their bill trying to spot the slightest error etc. (The till just gives a blanket discount on those days as has been programmed for every eligible product).

Am laughing at the minority on here moaning they ‘only’ got a tenner off because they chose a more expensive place. What DH calls twenty quidders. Give them a free £20 and they’d complain because they wanted two tenners 🤣🤣🤣

Why are people finding this so difficult? It’s 50% off up to a maximum discount of £10 per person. We had two coffees and a croissant, so got 50% off because it came to a total of £7.50. We went for a nice dinner which came to £80, so we got the £20 discount. It’s really not that difficult - if you choose somewhere more expensive than you normally choose you won’t get 50% off and it will likely still be more expensive than if you went to somewhere else that is usually cheaper (Nando’s etc.) and paid full price