Well, It looks like the restaurant wage tsunami is finally hitting the California shores. Prices for meals at fast food, Denny's and other value price venues have jumped $6 to $8 per person. A typical Breakfast that used to cost me $12 is now $18. From my wife's senior social posse, I'm hearing that this is really impacting people who are on SS and not California wealthy. Some of the local family owned businesses are already just shutting down as the heirs are not interested in running a time-consuming business for low profit margins. I know we are cutting back on going out and I don't see how anyone making less than $30 per hour can afford it but I know they will keep on doing it anyway. In the Stallone movie "Demolition Man", one of the best comic scenes was going out for dinner at Taco Bell as it was the dominant expensive "upscale" restaurant and had "won" the restaurant wars. We always laughed at this scene since Taco Bell is just an Americanized Mexican restaurant. Somehow that is not so funny anymore. Seeing Taco Bell becoming an expensive place to eat, just became a reality.
ECON California restaurant prices going through the roof.
- Thread starter CaBuckeye
- Start date
West
Senior
Newscum is laughing all the way to the bank. For every dollar in increased payroll cost the state cronies(mandated payroll insurances) and state payroll taxes increase as well.
Though every year less and less private payroll employees there is, as they leave the state. So increases in minimum wages is a great thing, for the bureaucrats.
Abe Froman
Senior Member
No election ANYWHERE is the true will of the people without IDs and paper ballots.
Everything else is a SELECTION.
Everything else is a SELECTION.
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
Of course this is because of the grocery suppliers. Idiots every last one of them.
Hermantribe
Veteran Member
Some of us stay to pick up the pieces when it inevitably implodes. Praying Riverside County Sheriff Bianco will run for governor. California was heaven on earth until the Dems hijacked it.
Lone_Hawk
Resident Spook
Unfortunately for you, when the implosion happens you will wake up the next morning in Mexico.
Squib
Veteran Member
True, but the demons are think as thieves…they’ll just cry to Biden and get a bailout from the tax payers of other, less crazy states in the form of federal bail outs.
Great Northwet
Veteran Member
Same here in Slugtown. Minimum wage is now $19.97/hr. I don't go out to restaurants anymore and just saving for retirement. The college students go out all the time because they think that it's just the way it is. They don't have a timeline to go by like we do.
I remember getting a "Grand Slam" at Denny's for $2.99-that would be $18 now.
I remember getting a "Grand Slam" at Denny's for $2.99-that would be $18 now.
I have always used fast food places as a last ditch to quiet the stomach growls if I know I'm going to be stuck in town all day or out on the road (though usually then, I bring my own food). Cheapest and most sense has always been to order a couple of the value burgers and nothing else. The 2/$5 Jr.s at Burger King are still a pretty good deal - as long as that lasts. I can only assume most people pass them up for the more outrageous stuff, and that's why they can still do it.
I go for breakfast once/month with the retired ladies from work, and even at someplace like Perkins, or one of the locally owned places, a couple eggs, sausage and coffee is still fairly doable.
I go for breakfast once/month with the retired ladies from work, and even at someplace like Perkins, or one of the locally owned places, a couple eggs, sausage and coffee is still fairly doable.
Melodi
Disaster Cat
It isn't just California; they are probably the canary in the coal mine. Prices on this side of the water (especially in the UK and Ireland) have never been cheap for "fast" food (it has never been that fast either), but in the last year, they have gotten seriously out-of-whack. Consumers continue to pull in their spending, and the prices keep rising.
There has also been a rise in "fast" or "ready-made" (as they call it here) grocery store items. The sort you can either eat right away or take home and reheat as dinner for the family. Trays of roast chicken (or fish) with precooked potatoes and peas abound in the meat section, with vegetarian options. Pre-made sandwiches are also a big seller, though their prices have suddenly skyrocketed with much public pushback (I don't buy or eat them, so I don't know the exact price rise there).
Many of our traditional "Chippers" (french fries and fish places) have closed. There are a few still standing that make their chips (fries) from potatoes and bread, their fish (and other traditional fast foods like sausages), but they are quickly losing ground to places like Burger King and other large franchises.
Restaurants are doing very badly because they can't charge people an amount that compensates for their costs of buying produce. There has been a huge round of closures this past year, to the point where the tourist industry is warning that this is starting to affect the industry.
There have been attempts at automatic and self-service here, too, but it isn't going well. People don't like ordering from machines and like "self-checkout." Many people simply ignore the machine and wait in a long line for the one cashier on duty, or they go somewhere else.
So California may have made things worse with the sudden rise in wages combined with a high cost for produce, but they are not alone; just ahead of the curve.
There has also been a rise in "fast" or "ready-made" (as they call it here) grocery store items. The sort you can either eat right away or take home and reheat as dinner for the family. Trays of roast chicken (or fish) with precooked potatoes and peas abound in the meat section, with vegetarian options. Pre-made sandwiches are also a big seller, though their prices have suddenly skyrocketed with much public pushback (I don't buy or eat them, so I don't know the exact price rise there).
Many of our traditional "Chippers" (french fries and fish places) have closed. There are a few still standing that make their chips (fries) from potatoes and bread, their fish (and other traditional fast foods like sausages), but they are quickly losing ground to places like Burger King and other large franchises.
Restaurants are doing very badly because they can't charge people an amount that compensates for their costs of buying produce. There has been a huge round of closures this past year, to the point where the tourist industry is warning that this is starting to affect the industry.
There have been attempts at automatic and self-service here, too, but it isn't going well. People don't like ordering from machines and like "self-checkout." Many people simply ignore the machine and wait in a long line for the one cashier on duty, or they go somewhere else.
So California may have made things worse with the sudden rise in wages combined with a high cost for produce, but they are not alone; just ahead of the curve.
CaryC
Has No Life - Lives on TB
According to Biden that is a true statement.
West
Senior
I was wondering...
Maybe blaming the greedy unions? But it's government that mandates prevailing wages (pw). And now since the minimum wage is around $20 the pw should double. Maybe thats why the unionized suppliers want to double their wages too?
IDK, but a hourly wage is so yesterday. I want a $100 a hour now, if I gotta work a whole hour!
CaryC
Has No Life - Lives on TB
No never going to blame unions, not Biden, needs their vote.
BUT just a few short days ago he did blame the grocery stores and suppliers for the high prices, and called them "greedy".
et2
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Well Biden screamed at his SOTU …. Higher taxes for business …. Higher actual living wages for employees … and you have to reduce your prices, quit screwing America
Pretty obvious this good Commie imposter knows exactly what he’s doing. Throw in flooding us with illegal terrorists … The New Green Deal … money for foriegn Biden wars … nothing for the border
See the big picture
Pretty obvious this good Commie imposter knows exactly what he’s doing. Throw in flooding us with illegal terrorists … The New Green Deal … money for foriegn Biden wars … nothing for the border
See the big picture
et2
Has No Life - Lives on TB
It’s not just Cali … here in SE MI restaurant prices are way up. We don’t eat much anymore. Just had breakfast at a coney island last week. Blueberry pancakes & sausage, 1 coffee, scramble eggs and ham with hash browns for wife and I was over $30 with tip.
Panera Bread yesterday … wife wanted cream cheese for a bagel … small container … like 2 tablespoons was $1.72. She ate her bagel plain.
Panera Bread yesterday … wife wanted cream cheese for a bagel … small container … like 2 tablespoons was $1.72. She ate her bagel plain.
Signwatcher
Has No Life - Lives on TB
I went into the city to visit mom this afternoon. It had been a few years since I had been to Arby's, so I went in and ate by myself before driving back into the mountains. One medium roast beef sandwich, combo with large fries and large coke. I figured I would try a small order of mozzarella sticks (4). $29.00. gotta love beautiful California! (ETA: SPIT)
school marm
Veteran Member
Sitting in the airport waiting for the last leg of our return flight from South Korea. The DDs wanted Korean bbq for their last lunch, but there was nothing in the area, so they chose hamburgers. Two really good burgers (DD2 and I shared a double), large sweet potato fries, free homemade potato chips came to $19.80. No tax, no tip.
ETA: This was a sit-down place in downtown Seoul.
ETA: This was a sit-down place in downtown Seoul.
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