How Slim are Restaurant Margins?

The pandemic has only highlighted the sacrifices that mom-and-pop restaurant owners have made — and continue to make — for their children. “I’m in a comfortable situation where I’m not worried about where my paycheck is coming from. And the only reason I’m in this situation is because my parents … worked so hard for my brother and I to be in a situation where we wouldn’t be affected by something like this,” says Jiwani, comparing her tech job in San Francisco to the risk and uncertainty that her parents face at their restaurants in Atlanta. “It’s twisted and ironic … they worked so hard to give us the education to bring us, professionally, to where we are today. And I’m reaping the benefits of that, and they aren’t.”

He doesn’t want to share his wealth with his parents? He, not the tax payers, is supposed to pay back his parents.

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He says he is reaping the benefits and his parents aren’t.

Bad son. :-1:

Panda Express by far the cleanest , I used to work there 20 years ago and the kitchen is spotless at night.

Panda is pseudo Chinese food. Real Chinese food can’t be too clean or else it loses its authentic flavor.

:rofl:

Have you guys tried won kok on Monterey Blvd I’m San Francisco, I go there a lot and it’s super busy. The owner used to work at R&G lounge

The place is too small and tables too close to each other. We went there a couple times. Food is ok but rather unimpressive.

Cheap oysters? I am eating :grinning:

Finally Folsom Costco figured it out. No pork or beef. But I got 4 pounds of restaurant grade 13/15 count prawns for $10/#. Best deal on these huge prawns ever. Why aren’t the stores selling the food that was packaged for restaurants. Toilet Paper and paper towels also? Also got lamb chops for $6.99/#. Haven’t seen pork loin for two weeks.
Why aren’t the seafood purveyors contacting the grocery stores?

Folsom Costco got one pallet of TP at noon. It was gone in minutes. I don’t understand why Kimberly Clark isn’t cranking up production.
Good news no line. Everyone wearing masks. Store half empty.

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Folsom still run out of TP and paper towels? Plenty in Costco Austin. No limits :hugs:

No shortage of anything :yawning_face:

Uber has reportedly offered to buy GrubHub

Makes sense. The only way to make money out of this business is ruthless consolidation. Just look at China. It’s now down to two players and both are making banks.

In China there are hundreds of millions willing to work cheap to support the 200 million wealthy. In the US not that many people willing to work for free. In California UBER is being forced to pay wages and benefits. UBER is doomed in California.

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Uber up 7% on the news. Usually acquiring side’s stock tanks. Investors are upbeat on the consolidation.

China has no social net. Starve to death or work for a meager sum. In USA, you have plenty of help even if you are homeless and unemployed.

Nobody will work at all in the US. Now that everyone is getting Covid19 benefits, the genie is out of the bag. No one will do hard physical labor. We will have to open up the border again. Without cheap Mexican labor the agricultural business will disappear. We will be eating imported food.

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Amazon, Walmart, Instacart all have hired hundreds of thousands of people each. I am seeing lot more delivery windows on Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh. Obviously these people find it worth their time to work. BTW the default tip on Whole Foods delivery is $7. If you make 3 deliveries an hour that’s $20/hr tips alone. Not bad.

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Cars cost $.50/ mile. Who is paying for that? What do delivery people net? I heard Uber drivers net below min wage. Car costs. Standby time. Time dealing with extra maintenance of your vehicle. Time spent on the computer looking for rides.

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