4 ms·

$10 for a full meal (not including tax and tip) is probably unrealistically low for the bay area. State and city minimum wages are increasing (SF is $14/hr and

$10 for a full meal (not including tax and tip) is probably unrealistically low for the bay area. State and city minimum wages are increasing (SF is $14/hr and they have other mandates like healthcare coverage) so food and restaurant prices are going up (many meals seem to be in the $12-15 range, approaching $20 w/ tips). Many restaurants are closing, and are exploring alternate business practices, like pop-up stores, mandatory/included tips, and food trucks instead of fixed locations. Forcing workers out of the office without their consent seems disingenuous. Travel expenses can be a burden, and such travel can cause disruption in areas where rideshare services may be flaky and increasingly dangerous to passengers. The increase of food trucks is, on average, perhaps providing office workers with less nutritious food options which they have less control over (especially compared to big tech office cafes). Increasing use of outside food establishments increases the 'lunch commute', adding to already-insane traffic, pollution, and stress for workers who already commute too much. On the plus side, this may create increased demand for lunch spots, however it is increasingly difficult for them to operate while providing affordable prices for healthy food, and I don't think the increased demand would truly offset this effect, but rather could have negative effects on the workers caught in the middle.

spike021 8y ago
Not sure where you're getting those numbers in your first paragraph (other than the minimum wage increases). I live and work in the downtown part of San Jose, and on some days of the week work in downtown SF (SoMa near Caltrain). I rarely spend $12-15 (more so in SJ but also in SF). Usually the significant cost is adding a soft drink of some sort (soda, juice, tea, etc.) because I'm finding restaurants are increasing the price of those for whatever reason ($2.50 at some). Definitely wouldn't say $10 for a full meal is "unrealistically low". Perhaps it's really a matter of choice. Some people prefer to get lunch often from New American restaurants and similar where you need to tip, etc. Some don't mind going to simpler places like a taco truck around the corner, or Panera Bread/Chipotle/etc. (although I will easily admit Panera's cost has increasingly gotten more expensive, as you describe).
- HenryBemis 8y ago
  > because I'm finding restaurants are increasing the price of those for whatever reason ($2.50 at some). Soft drinks are easy money. Receive, unpack, refrigerate,sell. A soft drink that costs $0.10 to buy in a store and sells for $2.5. That's a 2500% profit margin. If the delivery system is not a bottled/canned productbut comes in a keg, and can deliver 50 litres instead of 330ml then the margin is higher. Of course the expenses of electricity, storage, labor, remain, but it makes a sweeter deal for the restoranteur to employ their staff for 10% of the time with 2500% margin. I remember watching Gordon Ramsay in many of his episodes stating that restos are/should be operating with a 25% margin.
  - FroshKiller 8y ago
    It's a 96% profit margin. With a price of $2.50 and a cost of $0.10, the profit is $2.40. Thus the margin is 2.4/2.5, or 0.96.

spike021 8y ago

Not sure where you're getting those numbers in your first paragraph (other than the minimum wage increases). I live and work in the downtown part of San Jose, and on some days of the week work in downtown SF (SoMa near Caltrain). I rarely spend $12-15 (more so in SJ but also in SF). Usually the significant cost is adding a soft drink of some sort (soda, juice, tea, etc.) because I'm finding restaurants are increasing the price of those for whatever reason ($2.50 at some). Definitely wouldn't say $10 for a full meal is "unrealistically low". Perhaps it's really a matter of choice. Some people prefer to get lunch often from New American restaurants and similar where you need to tip, etc. Some don't mind going to simpler places like a taco truck around the corner, or Panera Bread/Chipotle/etc. (although I will easily admit Panera's cost has increasingly gotten more expensive, as you describe).

HenryBemis 8y ago
> because I'm finding restaurants are increasing the price of those for whatever reason ($2.50 at some). Soft drinks are easy money. Receive, unpack, refrigerate,sell. A soft drink that costs $0.10 to buy in a store and sells for $2.5. That's a 2500% profit margin. If the delivery system is not a bottled/canned productbut comes in a keg, and can deliver 50 litres instead of 330ml then the margin is higher. Of course the expenses of electricity, storage, labor, remain, but it makes a sweeter deal for the restoranteur to employ their staff for 10% of the time with 2500% margin. I remember watching Gordon Ramsay in many of his episodes stating that restos are/should be operating with a 25% margin.
- FroshKiller 8y ago
  It's a 96% profit margin. With a price of $2.50 and a cost of $0.10, the profit is $2.40. Thus the margin is 2.4/2.5, or 0.96.