Where the money goes
The menu price is not the price. Sales tax and a 20 percent tip add roughly 25 to 30 percent, so a 20-dollar entree costs about 26 dollars before you have ordered anything to drink. Drinks carry the highest markup in the building. A glass of wine is often priced near what the restaurant paid for the whole bottle, a cocktail runs 12 to 18 dollars in most cities, and even a soda is three or four.
Ways to pay less for the same food
- Lunch comes from the same kitchen as dinner, often at prices 20 to 30 percent lower and in portions that are nearly as large.
- Happy hour menus discount food as well as drinks, usually in the late afternoon.
- Two appetizers, or an appetizer and a shared main course, make a full meal at many restaurants.
- Restaurant weeks, which many cities hold, offer set menus at ambitious places for a fixed, lower price.
- Some restaurants without a liquor license let you bring your own wine, sometimes for a small corkage fee, although the rules vary by state.
- Counter-service restaurants serve some of the best food in any city at well below the cost of table service.
- A dinner portion is often two meals, so take half home, refrigerate it within two hours, and tomorrow's lunch is paid for.
The delivery premium
Delivery through an app is the most expensive way to eat restaurant food. Menu prices on the apps are often marked up, and then a delivery fee, a service fee and a tip are added on top, which together can raise the cost by 30 to 40 percent. Call the restaurant and pick the order up yourself. The restaurant keeps more of the money, and a 25-dollar dinner stays a 25-dollar dinner.
What not to cut
Do not economize on the tip. Servers in most states are paid a lower minimum wage on the assumption that tips make up the difference, so the tip is part of the price of table service. If the full cost does not fit the budget, choose a counter-service place, where a dollar or two in the jar is sufficient. When friends suggest splitting a large check evenly and you ordered lightly, ask for separate checks when you order, which is easier than arguing over arithmetic at the end.
Tip Track restaurant, coffee and delivery spending for one month before setting a budget. The total surprises nearly everyone, and the number itself does most of the persuading.
