02-10-2019, 12:48 AM
(02-09-2019, 11:57 PM)Spokes Wrote:(02-09-2019, 03:08 PM)plam Wrote: There are economic incentives to turn over the seats. I don't know about AYCE economics but I do know that, in some sense, restaurants are in large part renting you the seats; food costs are typically only one-third of a restaurant's operating costs. So, the more turnover, the more money the restaurant makes. Like, if you have three seatings vs two in an evening, you're grossing 50% more.
Of course, that could just be an indication that something is fundamentally wrong with our society. But restaurant economics are only a reflection of the society.
That's what I'm saying. Sure, I get restaurants are businesses and need to make money. But is that any different in Europe? It's a cultural thing.
It's complicated. Restaurants aren't super high margin, so if they make less money, they might go out of business. The cost structure might be different in Europe; rents, salaries, and food costs don't have to line up as they do here (in a way that makes it hard to stay in business). I've never really run the numbers but it would seem very Ontario to want restaurants to cost as little as possible. Which then means that they have to get more people in.