This is totally an n of 1 type story, but perhaps relevant nonetheless. I worked at a bar during university during a time where the popular beer sale would be

This is totally an n of 1 type story, but perhaps relevant nonetheless. I worked at a bar during university during a time where the popular beer sale would be "28 bottles for the price of 24". The bar owner would send me and a few guys in a truck to a beer store in another town to buy as many cases as the truck could handle. This was illegal as we would sell it at the licensed bar (all liquor was supposed to be purchased with the license, for which the sale wasn't applicable too). So the owner was willing to risk legal action for 4 free beers (x50 cases or whatever). The point is... restaurant owners sometimes go to great lengths to save a few dollars.