Yeah, just doing some basic maths in my head when I'm eating out -- cost of ingredients, salaries, rent, taxes, ... -- I wonder how any restaurant can even turn

Yeah, just doing some basic maths in my head when I'm eating out -- cost of ingredients, salaries, rent, taxes, ... -- I wonder how any restaurant can even turn a profit at all, even with meal prices as high as they are. Except maybe for the hyped influencer places which always have a queue. But which, unfortunately, also almost always serve terrible food with terrible service (hygiene...). You don't open a restaurant to become rich... or to have the easy life. The owner of one of my favourite "mom & pop" takeout places once told me that even though they're only open for 6 hours a day on weekdays, with all the shopping, cleaning, preparation, paperwork etc. he's still working six and a half days a week (he's the only chef).