Cheesecake Factory

[Leroy]

I grow tired of your insolence.

[jim]

But wouldn't y'all rather have a one-meal portion and pay 1/2 as much (or 1/3)? That way you can buy 2 or 3 hot, fresh, and different meals for the same price.

I'm also amazed at the size of small sodas. A small soda at most places in the US is larger than the large in most other places. And almost every restaurant I went to in St. Louis gives free refills on the sodas. At the cinema they kept pushing me to get the large soda and large popcorn because it's only 50 cents more and you get double the amount. I know people can just say no or just stop eating at some point, but it's these very effective and profitable marketing techniques that contribute to the rise in obesity.

I go to Subway 1-2 times per week and get the meal which includes a "small" drink. When I was a kid, a 16oz drink was the large size. I fill it up with ice to the top and put maybe 8 - 10 oz of soda in it, which is about the right amount for a lunch. As a family we have been known to split 1 Taco Bell drink that comes with a meal deal four ways.

edit - seriously, when did the sizes change? I'm sure it used to be 10/12/16 for S/M/L. And now what is it? 15/32/ and a two gallon jug?

[maddash]

The portion sizes at the Cheesecake Factory actually piss me off. Sure, some stuff can be saved and reheated, but a lot of things can't - not unless you like eating a big pile of mush the next day. And you can't always take stuff with you, like if you go to the movies after dinner. It'd be like getting 10 times the amount of napkins or condiments you need at a fast food place - yeah, you could save and reuse them, but so many people are simply going to trash them that it ends up being a huge waste.

And I have no doubt that The Factory's quality suffers because they have to meet the quantity demands. They could have a nice little chain that focuses on the quality of each plate if they didn't have to churn out so much food. It's like a kitchen meant to do 200 plates a night is now doing 300. It's more about unnecessary waste and quality issues for me - if those fat [expletive] who can't stop eating are given a huge plate of food, I really don't blame the Factory for their obesity.

And any way you want to play with the numbers, America still has an obesity epidemic.. and one that's growing. But I've said my piece on people's relation to food before, no need to repeat myself.

[omaha_red]

But wouldn't y'all rather have a one-meal portion and pay 1/2 as much (or 1/3)? That way you can buy 2 or 3 hot, fresh, and different meals for the same price

honestly no.. i enjoy leftovers.. they make me happy

[jim]

I never even heard of this store until a few weeks ago. And then I assumed they just sold cheesecake.

[Arthur Dent]

But wouldn't y'all rather have a one-meal portion and pay 1/2 as much (or 1/3)? That way you can buy 2 or 3 hot, fresh, and different meals for the same price.

I don't think it works like that. The majority of the cost of eating at a restaurant is not the food itself. Half sized portions cost way more than half as much. I think that's one of the factors motivating large portion sizes to begin with. It doesn't cost much more to serve them, so it's a way to try gain competitive advantage.

[omaha_red]

But wouldn't y'all rather have a one-meal portion and pay 1/2 as much (or 1/3)? That way you can buy 2 or 3 hot, fresh, and different meals for the same price.

I don't think it works like that. The majority of the cost of eating at a restaurant is not the food itself. Half sized portions cost way more than half as much. I think that's one of the factors motivating large portion sizes to begin with. It doesn't cost much more to serve them, so it's a way to try gain competitive advantage.

exactly.. try just simply getting an appetizer at these places.. you'll pay almost
as much.. if not more than a complete meal..

[clement]

But wouldn't y'all rather have a one-meal portion and pay 1/2 as much (or 1/3)? That way you can buy 2 or 3 hot, fresh, and different meals for the same price.

I don't think it works like that. The majority of the cost of eating at a restaurant is not the food itself. Half sized portions cost way more than half as much. I think that's one of the factors motivating large portion sizes to begin with. It doesn't cost much more to serve them, so it's a way to try gain competitive advantage.

Yeah of course you're right. It would cost less but not 50% less. It's really just an effective sales gimmick.

Same goes with all-you-can-eat places. People eat way more than they should because they wanna get the best deal and it's essentially free once you've paid the cover charge. I'd be surprised if more than 10% of people would say that they didn't overeat when they go to all-you-can-eat places. They think they're getting a good deal, but not really.

Still, it's hard to argue with those grilled artichokes.

[sighyoung]

I never even heard of this store until a few weeks ago. And then I assumed they just sold cheesecake.

You obviously don't know what goes on at the Beefcake Factory, either.

[wart57]

Ever eaten at a place called Claim Jumpers? The typical portion there could feed a family of 8 for a month and a half......