“I can tell you that the people that are doing it aren’t the people who are coming here because they’re looking for a sandwich because they’re hungry,” said Ravi Ramberran, “It’s the people who are not afraid of consequences period.”

In the wake of the increase in dine and dashers, Ramberran said his restaurant has ramped up how they deal with it.

“We blast them on Facebook, we hold them, we make them wait for the cops…We do what’s in our power to do.”

  • Showroom7561
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    1 year ago

    Paying before is a possible solition, but it’s a double-edged sword for restaurants.

    I would imagine that the sticker shock would lead to people spending less on their overpriced food and drinks, ignoring the outrageous tip on top of that.

    I’d lose my appetite 😂

    • bitsplease@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      Also how do you handle things that pop up mid meal? Like a second beer/cocktail with your meal.

      I think a deposit when you sit down makes the most sense. If paying by card, then just keep their card on file for the duration of the meal, if cash, then do a small deposit per person - less than the cost of the meal, but enough to make dining and dashing really not worth the risk/effort.

      Not exactly perfect, but itd work

      • Showroom7561
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        1 year ago

        They’d probably do it like gas stations… put a $200+ hold on the card, then actually charge the amount you pumped.

        • bitsplease@lemmy.ml
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          1 year ago

          Fair point, makes cash customers trickier, but for better or worse, more and more people don’t use cash anyways, so that might be a non issue

      • Showroom7561
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        1 year ago

        You’d never convince me that eating at a restaurant is more economical and cooking at home, even with the math you present.

        I mean, when it costs $5 to make pasta for four people at home, or $20 per plate at some cheap diner down the street, I’m not sure I’d want to pile on desert and drinks after seeing the bill before I eat.

        In other words, it costs $60 per day just to have an idle kitchen in your home.

        An idle kitchen in the home is a sin, especially if money is a factor. But kitchens aren’t really used 24/7. Even an hour of kitchen time per day is going to save you money and time vs multiple restaurant meals, coffee runs, or convenience store snacks.

        The average meal takes around 30 minutes to make and cleanup. The average wage is around $30 per hour. If we assume three meals per day, that’s $45 spent. We’re up to $105 per day and we still don’t have any food.

        Nah. Breakfast for most people might involve pouring milk into cereal. 10 seconds at most.

        Lunch is often <5 minutes to prepare, add an extra minute if you’re making it for multiple people.

        Dinner can take 30 minutes, if you want it to. But in less than 30 minutes of actual kitchen time, you could have had your pressure cooker making meals for the week. You could have made a wonderful cappuccino for you and your partner, and had fresh bread going ready while you did something else.

        Tim Hortons 3 x a day? Make it in minutes at home using pennies worth of beans.

        Any typical restaurant meal would at a minimum $25 ($10 for lunch) + the time and gas to get there to order it, eat it, then come home. Do that 6x a day (3 meals + snacks) for X number of people in the home, and you’d literally need another income just to feed your family restaurant meals.

        It is true that you can improve upon those numbers if you have a family, but one-person households are the predominant household type in Canada.

        I’d argue that one person can be even easier to cook for, since a meal for four can feel one person four times. And a single person doesn’t have to cater to multiple preferences.

        The reality is that restaurants are among the most expensive, unnecessary things that most Canadians indulge in. In a time when people are concerned about housing affordability, job insecurity, and the cost of food, it’s almost silly to try to justify eating out these days.

          • Showroom7561
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            1 year ago

            You are supposed to convince me that cooking at home is more economical.

            If you want to set aside some criteria, then I’d be game. Are you including transportation costs per restaurant trip? “Lost wages” in the time it takes to go and then wait for your meal? Delivery fees? Etc.? If so, set out the parameters.

            And? The cost is the same no matter how much you use it. We call these fixed costs. They are as true in a commercial kitchen as a residential kitchen. They are, by far, the largest cost in both cases.

            You look at having a kitchen as a loss, while someone else would see it as a bonus for the place you’re paying for to have a roof over your head. Even without a kitchen you could make meals in your bedroom using a simple pressure cooker, or more if you want to expand on your options.

            So, if you want to go that route, a kitchen is zero cost, because you can use whatever room you sleep in.

            Okay, even if we say three meals at that price, your cost is only $15 - or $5 per meal. Remember, you kept $60 in your pocket from not owning a kitchen: 75 - 60 = 15.

            Again, zero cost kitchen per above. You’d be overspending far more than $60 per day, and you’re getting a (likely) unhealthy meal.

            So, like, maybe $30 gross cost – or $30 profit each day (60 - 30 = 30)! Now you’re getting paid to eat!

            Per above, you’re spending specifically more!

            Easier, but you lose economies of scale. Those fix costs are the same either way, so the more people you can feed, the lesser the cost per person. That $60 becomes $30 per person if you are feeding two.

            No, because rather than making many meals for many people, you’re making many meals for one. No added cost necessary.

            This is exactly how restaurants are able to feed you for so much less.

            Yeah, $20 pasta, $15 sandwich, $6 lattes, $8 for home fries, $3 for pop… much less than what? A banquet wedding dinner? LOL