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Restaurant pricing

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Restaurant pricing

Postby Pepper Pig » Wed Jun 02, 2021 4:05 pm

I suspect we’re going to see an awful lot of this. I booked lunch at Pollen St Social 3 weeks ago. It’s a Jason Atherton gaff and I have £100 of gift vouchers. When I booked the Set Lunch was advertised at £45 and there is a 12.5% discretionary cover charge. Just checked again and the price is now £55 per meal. Am wondering what it will have gone up to when we dine next Wednesday.
Last edited by Pepper Pig on Thu Jun 03, 2021 8:19 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Restauarant pricing

Postby MagicMarmite » Wed Jun 02, 2021 6:00 pm

The Kitchin has gone up too, my friend and I are going in August.
We don't mind as its obvious he's been affected by Covid*, I'm assuming this will happen everywhere.

* I saw he's promoting something that wouldn't have struck me as particularly him, and though it's nothing awful, I assume it's purely for money.

I could say people like this have more than I'll ever have, but they still have lives and families and homes.
Also, the food and experience is still very much worth it to us.

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Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby Pepper Pig » Wed Jun 02, 2021 6:04 pm

Yes, I’m with you on that. Also I have spent nothing on restaurants for 18 months so I can afford it. And willingly. Let’s just hope they don’t get greedy.
Last edited by Pepper Pig on Thu Jun 03, 2021 8:19 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Restauarant pricing

Postby MagicMarmite » Wed Jun 02, 2021 6:09 pm

We love it, it will be our 11th time, but our first time was in 2014, and our last time was for my 40th and I'll be 44 in November.
We missed my friend's 40th as Covid so we're celebrating that this time.

Edited to add, yes, there's a difference between putting prices up and being greedy, if it goes that way I won't go back, but I can't see it as its such a down to earth place to eat, as he seems to be.
Last edited by MagicMarmite on Wed Jun 02, 2021 6:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Restauarant pricing

Postby Pepper Pig » Wed Jun 02, 2021 6:10 pm

We’re saving up for Le Manoir. Is my favourite lunch place in the World.
Last edited by Pepper Pig on Thu Jun 03, 2021 8:15 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Restauarant pricing

Postby MagicMarmite » Wed Jun 02, 2021 6:14 pm

Maybe I can get my daughter to take me there for my 50th!

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Re: Restauarant pricing

Postby aero280 » Wed Jun 02, 2021 8:16 pm

Most restaurants will be opening with high demand and reduced capacity, due to greater spacing between tables. But reduced table numbers doesn't necessarily mean reduced staff, maybe more staf due to the checks and sanitising required.

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Re: Restauarant pricing

Postby PatsyMFagan » Wed Jun 02, 2021 9:33 pm

After our Wednesday morning (live) Fitsteps class , us gals walk along to our nearest pub for refreshment .... only coffee ;) Before Lockdown, we paid £2.50 each, but now it's £3.00 (or more :roll: ) We do get a Lotus biscuit too though ;)

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Re: Restauarant pricing

Postby karadekoolaid » Thu Jun 03, 2021 12:46 am

Well I can´t condone whacking up the prices by over 20% in a week or so, but I´ve read at least three articles in the past week or so saying that it´s getting difficult to recruit employees for the hospitality industry. The reasons seem to be the long hours, unattractive wages, on your feet all the time, customer abuse,not getting to see the family much, etc. It´s never been an easy industry to work in, especially in the kitchen, rather than in front of house.
I imagine it will pick up, but profit margins are tight. A year with virtually no income at all must be really tough.

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Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby Pepper Pig » Thu Jun 03, 2021 8:18 am

Absolutely KK.

I also have a voucher for The Wolseley. Be interesting to see how Corbyn and King fare. They’ve reopened Bellanger which they closed before lockdown. It seems to be doing well if you believe Twitter.

And yes, it’s not just Covid that’s had an effect. Brexit too.

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Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby slimpersoninside » Thu Jun 03, 2021 11:06 am

We don't eat in high end restaurants or very often in others either, due to hubby's intolerance of alliums. Mostly chain restaurants where we know what he can eat.
Our experience therefore maybe different to most of you.

My observations are that most staff we come across tend to be students and Eastern Europeans. My personal opinion is Brexit will have had more influence than Covid. Many, many Eastern Europeans have returned to their home country. A less plentiful workforce will lead to wage increases, good old supply and demand!

Add into the staffing issues that businesses are also running at a reduced capicity and trying to make up for their lost profits and it's the customer that will end up paying.

If for no other reason than staff earning a decent wage it must be a good thing. To some extent it seems right the customer will be expected to cover the costs of reduced capacity. As for recouping losses, I tend to think that's the cost of doing business and the owners should be like any Joe/Jo Public that has lost out financially.

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Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby jeral » Thu Jun 03, 2021 12:20 pm

Restaurateurs must have confidence, not just hope, to know that the food they serve in the oddly reduced ambience will be sufficiently good and perceived as good value at the price if they expect customers are to return again.

Food prices have undoubtedly gone up and perhaps customers are still thinking in terms of last year's pricing or even the year before's, so it'll be an unenviable balancing act.

Paying say 75% on booking a table might become more usual. I would cry if people booked and didn't turn up so I dread to think what a petulant chef or owner would do.

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Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby Pepper Pig » Thu Jun 03, 2021 4:06 pm

They wanted absolutely every detail from me Jeral. I had to give the numbers on the two gift vouchers (I had previously checked that they were extendable as they were given to me for Christmas 2019). They then wanted my credit card details as well. I was left in no doubt that I would be paying even if I didn’t turn up. Full marks to them I say.

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Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby Pepper Pig » Thu Jun 03, 2021 4:54 pm

I have booked our local White Brasserie for lunch tomorrow. Just now, no problem. And guess what, I also have a voucher for that! :oops:

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Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby Pepper Pig » Thu Jun 03, 2021 5:29 pm

Eeek. White Brasserie have emailed back saying we have to check in with our phones and QR code. OH can no longer work his phone and has no idea what his log in details are. What do we do? They are not answering their phones.

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Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby jeral » Thu Jun 03, 2021 5:51 pm

Is it The Hare? If so, the website says:
"or the host can manually enter your details on arrival. "
if that's the same check-in bit, as shown at the top under "Dear Guests".

https://hareoldredding.com/book-now/

The phones might clear meanwhile.

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Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby Stokey Sue » Thu Jun 03, 2021 5:55 pm

I'd assume they will allow one check in for a single table when the other person is in the same household, jeral's info is about what I'd expect

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Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby Pepper Pig » Thu Jun 03, 2021 5:59 pm

Thanks both. I think I’m out and about panicking about going back into the real world.

Yes, I know. Pathetic.

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Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby miss mouse » Thu Jun 03, 2021 7:51 pm

Pepper Pig wrote:Thanks both. I think I’m out and about panicking about going back into the real world.

Yes, I know. Pathetic.


No it isn't pathetic, we have all gone mildly bonkers in the last year or is it two? I can't even remember. Dash around as much as you can, Mystic Mouse predicts that there is more lockdown coming. I don't have a smartphone, just a landline in common with 20% of the population.

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Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby aero280 » Thu Jun 03, 2021 9:09 pm

Getting back to normal isn't as bad as I thought.

I think that it's because I have been going to supermarkets and DIY places on and off all the while. The only changes recently are a bus ride to town and back a trip to a wdding and a train ride to London and back. I never did do buses and trains much in the past. I think that the biggest change will be general shopping and browsing. I did one trip to Watford and walked through the town, but it wasn't crowded. I think you'll find that everyone is, in general, still being careful.

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