restaurant soft drink prices in this forum area's restaurants

[dave w]

We grew up poor and it's ingrained in my head for sure. We still have a 25.00 gift card for Crackle Barrel that the kids gave us for Christmas we haven't used. That's how often we get to a restaurant. My wife is embarrassed to go to the grocery store with me. I have a habit of blurting out my displeasure with inflated, shrinkflation prices and comment what we used to pay. I know this has cost me in some of my bigger purchases, decisions in hindsight. But that's the way we're built.

[Lodestar 77]

I never order soft drinks or iced tea when I go out, even at FF places, unless they have a senior discount, or free to seniors, on their drinks. The mark up is way up there. I will justify the price of an alcoholic drink as part of the going out to a nice restaurant, which I now only do occasionally.

[kyle19125]

To clarify, there is little mark-up room in food prices despite the common belief in casual serve/fast food establishments. Beverage prices have long been the true profit center and the reason why "value combo meals" exist. The soda/ice tea costs are pennies on the dollar, even with free refills.

[logicalconsequence]

Originally Posted by Lodestar 77

I never order soft drinks or iced tea when I go out, even at FF places, unless they have a senior discount, or free to seniors, on their drinks. The mark up is way up there. I will justify the price of an alcoholic drink as part of the going out to a nice restaurant, which I now only do occasionally.

Do you ever notice an attitude from your server?

I've encountered that before.

[Lodestar 77]

No, never. I usually say I may get dessert instead of a drink. As for the mark-up on drinks, IIRC, back in the day, when I worked at a FF restaurant, it was actually the CUPS that were costly, the drinks were not so much. We had what was called "courtesy cups" that we gave to customers who wanted only water, or the employees could use to drink soda with. We could not use a cup of any size without paying for it.

I stand corrected if I am incorrect about the drink prices from a sit down restaurant. However, I still refuse to pay $3.00 or more for a soda when I can get water free. Let's me put that toward a higher price entree, or an appetizer or dessert.

Disclaimer: I am not a "thirsty" person so that has something to do with it.

[beach43ofus]

Originally Posted by Lodestar 77

No, never. I usually say I may get dessert instead of a drink. As for the mark-up on drinks, IIRC, back in the day, when I worked at a FF restaurant, it was actually the CUPS that were costly, the drinks were not so much. We had what was called "courtesy cups" that we gave to customers who wanted only water, or the employees could use to drink soda with. We could not use a cup of any size without paying for it.

I stand corrected if I am incorrect about the drink prices from a sit down restaurant. However, I still refuse to pay $3.00 or more for a soda when I can get water free. Let's me put that toward a higher price entree, or an appetizer or dessert.

Disclaimer: I am not a "thirsty" person so that has something to do with it.

I'm seeing $4.00 soft drink prices now...they blew right past $3.00.

[CapnTrips]

My attitude is that I'm better off -- didnt need the sugary drinks anyway. I'm learning to drink water with meals. There's a lesson there on price elasticity for these restaurants.
I also don't patronize places that turn the credit card box around on me and give me the option to pay no less than 20% tip for what is essentially fast food.
And the fact that our home's FMV is up is no excuse. Sure, I can pay it, and I usually would tip the 20% anyway, but I don't do it now because I don't like being chiseled.