especially the ones that give you a glass 75% full of ice. fuck you guys. my husband and i went out to dinner at a japanese place, and the service was slow and took forever. we both drank 2 diet cokes... which added 10 dollars to our bill. i guess i would have just gotten beer if i had realized i was getting assraped for 40 cents worth of diet coke and ice.


plz to make a list of non-bars in raleigh that have this practice so i can avoid them when i am thirsty, kthx.

3/12/2009 2:43:14 AM

LOL

3/12/2009 2:44:09 AM

i bring my own

3/12/2009 2:45:09 AM

Quote :

"if i had realized i was getting assraped for 40 cents"

this is the title to my autobiography

3/12/2009 2:46:01 AM

can't trust those japs

3/12/2009 2:47:03 AM

god forbid you pay for what you consume.

3/12/2009 2:55:35 AM

This is what it's like in Japan. Not surprising that a Japanese restraunt would do it. I've learned to live off of water.

3/12/2009 2:58:00 AM

I have seen a couple Japanese places that do this... most have 2 refills included in price. This is usually on the menu with the sodas listed.

3/12/2009 2:59:09 AM

Quote :

"which added 10 dollars to our bill."

What restaurant was it? Or was it not in Raleigh?

3/12/2009 3:00:10 AM

$2.50 for 6-7 ounces of soda is not paying for what you consume, it is just ridiculous. would you pay 8 dollars for a gas station bottle of a coke or peps product? no way in hell.


koto, a northern chain i think. this was in vermont but plenty of restaurants have their heads up their own asses.

[Edited on March 12, 2009 at 3:03 AM. Reason : ]

3/12/2009 3:01:24 AM

well Coca-Cola syrup costs about $72 per 5 gallons of syrup.

Five gallons of syrup yields about 28 gallons of finished product.

Now, their pricing probably assumes about 12 ounces of finished product per glass.

Most food service places try to get about 10% product cost on soft drinks, as they are the most consumed, and if you can make a better product cost on them, you can offset higher cost percentages on stuff like food.

So that is about $2.50 per gallon, or $.02 per ounce. Which is $0.24 per glass and therefore, the price is about $2.40 to the customer.

Most places LOSE money on sodas and tea.

3/12/2009 3:14:33 AM

sodas are generally overpriced in restaurants and i don't know many that won't charge you extra for a refill on soda

3/12/2009 3:16:05 AM

I LOVE BLUE SODA

3/12/2009 3:17:28 AM

to lose money, that would mean that the average customer drank 10 cokes, excluding whatever shrink is associated. your statement cant be accurate unless there are some terribly wasteful practices going on in the back.

3/12/2009 3:22:12 AM

ah

shrink

3/12/2009 3:23:23 AM

Okay, let's spell this out completely.

The cost of any one item is determined based on the cost of the product, the cost of the labor, and the cost of running everything. The figure I gave is SOLELY the cost of the syrup.

You add into that the cost of the person taking the time to pour the drink plus the cost of the water and the CO2 tanks, plus the cost of the electricity to power the machine, plus the cost of the ice, plus the cost of the power to run their ice maker, plus the simple operating cost of the business for that period of time (I like dining with light and AC/heat), and it all starts adding up very quickly.

The place is there to make money, not to let the average person swill down 4-6 glasses of soda for $2.50.

3/12/2009 3:32:15 AM

i can not fathom places losing money on cokes, it's the easy product to mark up

3/12/2009 3:33:00 AM

yeah, but when ive spent 80 dollars on FOOD, spending 10 more for 4 very small cokes is pretty irritating. I dont mind paying for high quality food and tipping generously for excellent service but I cant stand getting nickle and dimed to death, particularly when the place tries to cover it up until the bill comes. that behavior IS hurting the restaurant industry and i will definitely think twice before going to that place again, there are just too many other restaurants.

3/12/2009 3:38:26 AM

It is the easy one to mark up. They HAVE to mark it up more than other things. If they used the standard of 30% cost, they would basically be charging $0.70 for a soda, and then they will lose money constantly. Every time someone has four drinks, they lose money on the syrup alone.

3/12/2009 3:39:51 AM

To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coke into the toilet. Let the"real
thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes
stains from vitreous china.

To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a
crumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coke.

To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coke
over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coke to the
rusted bolt for several minutes.

To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coke into the baking pan;
wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham
is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a
sumptuous brown gravy.

To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of Coke into a load of greasy
clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coke will
help loosen grease stains.

It will also clean road haze from your windshield..... and...

3/12/2009 3:41:25 AM

Well honestly, the place probably doesn't really like you in the first place. If you spent $80 on just the food, then they bet on you drinking something a little better than diet coke. Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if they did that specifically to discourage people from drinking sodas.

Also, if you can spend $80 on food and lose your shit over $10 in beverages, then you should really be going out to eat at cheaper places.

3/12/2009 3:42:29 AM

Or you can order two glasses of ice and produce a $0.99 2L of diet coke from a handbag. Is Coca-Cola corp. losing money at the stores too?

3/12/2009 3:49:23 AM

no, as they don't have to worry about the initial mark-up on the syrup. Their cost is probably closer to $0.005 per ounce... so when you drop a dollar on a liter, they are making money (as is the store you are buying from).

3/12/2009 3:52:12 AM

3/12/2009 4:10:51 AM

thats a pretty snobby attitude, mawle427. I have several reasons to abstain from alcohol which i do not need to enumerate for you. It isn't as if the options for non-alcoholic beverages are abundant at most restaurants, so my preference doesn't make me cheap. I CAN spend 80 dollars, or 180 dollars on an occasional meal if I wish. I can also throw money in the toilet and flush it if I wish. Just because I have money to spend doesnt mean my hand is forced into spending it on something that I deem a waste.

What I, the consumer, requested is a list of places to avoid which charge more for something which has no more value or operational cost, inherent or implied, between restaurants where the average meal costs 5 bucks and 50 bucks.

Its not like a graduate sommelier is going to help me select a fine vintage of diet coke and provide me with food pairing suggestions, no matter which restaurant I patronize. Someone, whether it is at mcdonalds or ruth chris is pushing the dispense button on a fountain machine at the exact same cost per ounce. There are no premium ingredients, creative energy, attractive plating, or particularly attentive service going into a glass of diet coke. There is nothing that justifies the excessive cost of the beverage. In conclusion, I prefer to take my business to restaurants, cheap or expensive, which aren't going to excessively mark up something without providing me with additional value for the added cost. If that makes me less of a foodie or more unsophisticated, so be it.

3/12/2009 4:42:24 AM

I hear ya. I understand going to a "nicer" place with better food and expecting to pay more, but sometimes drink prices are ridiculous. Granted, I expect beer and alcoholic drinks to be more, but things like water and soda should stay relatively the same.

3/12/2009 4:49:33 AM

Quote :

"sodas are generally overpriced in restaurants and i don't know many that won't charge you extra for a refill on soda"

wait, wut?

3/12/2009 4:55:00 AM

the real question is, who the hell is charging extra for refills on tea?

3/12/2009 4:55:56 AM

I mean, when I go dine at the capital city club, I am not charged an additional fee if I choose to drink non-alcoholic beverages because I am already paying a premium for great food and exemplary service, which is more than I can say for the restaurant in question and many others that are more local. I need to just skip all the bullshit and just go there more often.

3/12/2009 4:56:43 AM

Cookout ftw

3/12/2009 5:33:30 AM

Quote :

"Which is $0.24 per glass and therefore, the price is about $2.40 to the customer. Most places LOSE money on sodas and tea."

I'm pretty sure most places make their highest profit margins off soda/beverage markup. And I don't think the labor is that much of a factor, unless it takes the waitstaff a half hour to pour the glass. I mean what you just described is a 1000% markup... and they lose money on that. Ok.

[Edited on March 12, 2009 at 7:59 AM. Reason : -]

3/12/2009 7:51:25 AM

i'm sure they really lose on sweet tea

you know. all that sugar..and water..and teabags

OMG!1!

3/12/2009 8:04:54 AM

Fucking japs.

We we're at sushi thai a couple weeks ago and they got backed up big time because of a ton of sushi orders in front of us (and we had a couple too). After sitting there for about 50 minutes waiting on food, the waiter comes by for the third time to assure us our food would be ready shortly, then asks if there is anything he could get us.

I thought, yeah, some edamame would be nice to hold us over. He is like no problem. As soon as he walks away I stare at the group and I'm like "you know, they probably isn't going to be complimentary is it?"

Nope. $5 for some stuff that cost me $2.99 for triple the quantity at Trader Joes.

3/12/2009 8:13:13 AM

Quote :

"WE WE'RE"

[Edited on March 12, 2009 at 8:14 AM. Reason : a]

3/12/2009 8:14:33 AM

And how do the restaurants that charge $1.25 (with free refills no less) not go bankrupt then? I could maybe even concede a pricing scheme where it's $1.25 per glass where they charge per fill-up or $2.50 per glass with free refills, but $2.50 per glass is outright crazy.

And what if the waiter comes out an tops your glass off when you're half full/empty?

Quote :

"plz to make a list of non-bars in raleigh that have this practice so i can avoid them when i am thirsty, kthx."

My experience has been that most places give free refills. If they don't they'll typically give you a glass with just ice in it and the most expensive 20oz bottle you've ever bought. That way they can charge you per bottle and they avoid the what to charge for a half fill-up problem and the customer is unhappy because of the ice/soda ratio problem.


[Edited on March 12, 2009 at 8:23 AM. Reason : -]

3/12/2009 8:22:19 AM

I swear. For the longest time I thought GREEN JAY was a guy. Now it seems like every single post mentions her husband in some way.

3/12/2009 8:25:01 AM

Quote :

"So that is about $2.50 per gallon, or $.02 per ounce. Which is $0.24 per glass and therefore, the price is about $2.40 to the customer. Most places LOSE money on sodas and tea."

That doesn't make sense. 24 cents per glass and they're losing money on it?

3/12/2009 8:27:58 AM

most places i've been to that charge for refills only charge for soda refills, never tea

3/12/2009 8:29:57 AM

in europe you always pay by the glass

shit pissed me off lol

3/12/2009 8:32:03 AM

^^^$0.24 is the cost of the soda material. The guy is claiming that the ice, water, electricity for the machine, the machine cost itself, the HVAC, the CEO salary, and the $5 they slipped the health inspector all contribute toward making their total cost of a glass of coke to be over $2.50 per glass - since the claim is that they are losing money on it.

[Edited on March 12, 2009 at 8:38 AM. Reason : -]

3/12/2009 8:35:44 AM

lol, i can't exactly see how that is possible. hell, i can go buy a 3 liter and sell it in cups and make money on it. no way in hell you're losing money by having the syrup/CO2 tanks, etc. I mean, for a 4 person table you're talking 10 bucks just for drinks. that has to be enough to be profitable

3/12/2009 8:37:01 AM

Quote :

"$0.24 is the cost of the soda material. The guy is claiming that the ice, water, electricity for the machine, the machine cost itself, the HVAC, the CEO salary, and the $5 they slipped the health inspector all contribute toward making their total cost of a glass of coke to be over $2.50 per glass - since the claim is that they are losing money on it."

i gotta call bullshit on this

3/12/2009 8:49:26 AM

restaurants aren't charity

they can charge whatever the fuck they like

but you can also choose not to patronize any restaurant you please

this thread is like the special olympics

3/12/2009 9:00:05 AM

more of a northern thing


pay attention to the question when asked, there's a difference between

"would you like some more"

and

"would you like another"

3/12/2009 9:01:16 AM

At Waraji, they charge $2.75 for tea.

3/12/2009 9:09:06 AM

The amount of stupidity in this thread is astounding.

Quote :

"Which is $0.24 per glass and therefore, the price is about $2.40 to the customer. Most places LOSE money on sodas and tea."

Restaurants make a lot of money on soda. Only Alcohol has a higher profit margin. It's only about 40cents/glass and not everyone will drink 5 cokes. Syrup is by far the biggest expense. On average people drink 2 beverages/meal. Sure some will drink 4-5 glasses, but others will only drink 1.

Quote :

"To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coke into the toilet. Let the"real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china."

Actually that is the Phosphoric Acid in Coke that kills everything.

3/12/2009 9:14:44 AM

I don't understand why more adults like myself simply don't drink soda at restaurants.
I mean, there are very few foods that "go with" the taste of flavored sugar-water. You wouldn't order a cherry kool-aid with your steak, would you? ...Not to mention its only nutrient value is empty calories. Grow up -- liquid candy is NOT an everyday food. Beer, wine, water, and tea for the win.

3/12/2009 9:25:08 AM

I have a hard time believing that a cup full of soda in it with some ice is losing money and the Whopper Jr that I bought for the same amount of money is profitable.

3/12/2009 9:29:44 AM

If the menu doesn't specifically say "Free refills on soda and tea" Then politely ask if they do. It's not like they didn't offer you a menu. If it's not spelled out ask. The only person you should be mad at is you, not the restaurant.

[Edited on March 12, 2009 at 9:34 AM. Reason : -]

3/12/2009 9:34:41 AM

set em up

3/12/2009 9:36:49 AM