This article is based on the restaurants in States but nevertheless, interesting read.
1. "It's more about the sizzle than the steak."
2. "Eating here could make you sick."
3. "Our markups are ridiculous."
It's no secret that restaurants enjoy huge markups on certain items: Coffee, tea and sodas, for example, typically cost restaurants 15 to 20 cents per serving, and pasta, which costs pennies, can be dressed up with more expensive fare and sold for $25 a dish or more. At a fine-dining restaurant, the average cost of food is 38 to 42% of the menu price, says Kevin Moll, CEO and president of National Food Service Advisors. In other words, most restaurants are making roughly 60% on anything they serve.
It's not all gravy though. Restaurants keep only four cents of every dollar spent by a customer, says Hudson Riehle, vice president of research and information services at the National Restaurant Association. The remainder of the money, he says, is divided between food and beverage purchases, payroll, occupancy and other overhead costs.
Given the slim profit margin, many restaurants rely on savvy pricing to create the illusion of value. Putting a chicken dish on the menu for $21 will make a $15 pasta dish, where the restaurant is making a big profit, seem like a bargain, says Gregg Rapp, owner of consulting firm MenuTechnologies.net.
4. "Big Brother is watching you...eat."
5. "There's something fishy about our seafood."
6. "Reservation? What reservation?"
7. "Our specials are anything but."
8. "There's no such thing as too much butter."
9. "Nice tip — too bad your waiter won't get it."
10. "Never go out to eat on a Monday."
Read the rest of the article over at
Yahoo.