Odd Deals and Restaurant Prices

[DarkPanther]

Have you ever sat and just looked at a menu before to compare prices to themselves?...

I went to a Wendy's drive-thru with very specific instructions. I was to pick up a "single" with lettuce, tomato, and mayo only for my girlfriend's gramma (my girl was with me for this). I notice on the $0.99 value menu thing that you can get a "1/4 lb. Double Stack w/Cheese"... for 99 cents. So I get out a dollar and order the sacred "single" burger I was sent out for. "Thank you, that'll be $2.11, please pull ahead to the next window".

...$2.11?!?! :odd: Without even fries or a drink or CHEESE?!?!

And just this afternoon... I was looking through the menu from the place we were gonna order from for lunch today (at work). Whenever we go to this place, I usually get a bacon cheeseburger because it's only $2.60, and it's freakin' HUGE. I don't even need fries or chips or any sides. Just that and I'm full after lunch. I looked over more of the menu just for kicks. A grilled cheese sandwich with bacon is $2.70! WTF?! That's like charging me 10 cents for NOT having the burger part of a bacon cheeseburger. And I've seen the grilled cheese before. It's not like they're using thick slices of colby or something. They look like something I'd make at home on a budget with small cheap italian bread and one velveta square. I'll stick with my bacon cheeseburger for 10 cents less, thanks.

Anyone else ever notice something like this?

[tgf_guy]

Perhaps the bread costs more per loaf than a hamburger bun pack?

[Fiyerstorm]

Maybe it's not beef...

:O

[Paradox]

that happens sometimes where i am. the lower the price, the more they want you to buy the food. ;)

"Nobody buys the bacon double cheeseburger. Let's make it $1."
"But sir, the regular cheeseburger is still $2.50"
"I don't care. People get that all the time. We need to sell more bacon double cheeseburgers. :mischief:"

[Kirbypuff]

Well, I don't understand the first one, but maybe the grilled cheese was more because it was grilled? I'm probrably wrong.

[DarkPanther]

Yah... ya prolly are 'cuz I'm pretty sure their burgers aren't deep fried...

...or... baked....

[AlmostAngel]

Yah totally! Good point ya have there cutie..

That happened to me the other morning when I took Rae to get some breakfast at McDonalds. It wound up costing over $3.00 for just two hashbrowns and a small mr pibb. Rae didnt want a combo cause she was afraid itd cost too much.

...The most expensive combo was $2.70. :tongue:

[Master Ghaleon]

Haha, yea. There are many odd deals out there. Take it from me since I do own a restaurant. As long as people buy the odd deals they will keep the prices like that. Like our most sold sandwich item is the club, and we bumped up the price to $7.95 and people still buy it just like when it was $6.95. When you can get a Bacon Cheeseburger for $5.75. Which the food cost is more for the bacon cheeseburger with everything on it then the club.

[Mercy]

There are a few factors to merchandising that might help explain some of the odd pricing. If the basic price (without coupons, discounts, et cetera) of a medium fry is designated at $1.25 and a large fry is designated $1.75, 'nameless' restaurant can run a promotion for large fries at $1.00 and then declare the .75 cents as a PR (read: business) expense. Without getting into the finer details, a $.75 'expense' is preferrable to a $.25 'loss' once it comes time to balance the books.

In situations such as a $1.50 burger versus a $1.99 'value' meal with fries and a drink, the reasoning is that...$.49 more for what is probably closer to $.25 in additional product is $.24 more than they would have received from a customer who only bought the $1.50 burger. In actuality it is usually the lone burger, small fry, or like that are grossly over-priced to compensate for the probability that a customer choosing to buy a single burger instead of a 'value' meal will not buy anything else.

I hope that made sense.


m.

[DarkPanther]

I'm in accounting. I understand all that...

It was more fun just being observant.... actually....

[AlmostAngel]

How about chocolate covered strawberries. those arent that pricey especially if you hand dip em yourself :sly:

:giggle: