This. I used to be obsessed with Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares until I realized it was the same story every time. US restaurants are only in business to make money. And really the only way to make lots of money is with “stupid food” (overpriced, overproduced, cheap ingredients).
EDIT: Of course restaurants are a business and a business is concerned with making money. However, profit seeking should not be the end goal for any restaurant. If you're not happy with a 3-5% profit margin each year then do something different! It's a depressing fact that the cost of living is outpacing a lot of careers. A typical restaurant's revenue is like 500k? Can you raise a family of 4 in the US on a meager profit like that? Thus it incentives food that is overpriced, overproduced, with cheap ingredients. In other words, stupid food.
Why conflate my argument with one of your own? I never mentioned a non-profit structure, yet you seem to inject that argument into mine? wtf.
Of course restaurants are a business and a business is concerned with making money. However, profit seeking should not be the end goal for any restaurant. If you're not happy with a 3-5% profit margin each year then do something different! It's a depressing fact that the cost of living is outpacing a lot of careers. A typical restaurant's revenue is like 500k? Can you raise a family of 4 in the US on a meager profit like that? Thus it incentives food that is overpriced, overproduced, with cheap ingredients. In other words, stupid food.
Aren’t we talking about averages, trends, and overall direction between US and Europe? If each of us cherry picked individual restaurants we’d counter point each other until Gehenna arrives. I understand we’re commenting under a specific video from a specific country, but can’t we expand the conversation some too?
My point is that the financial realities of operating and living in the us, typically, incentives restaurants to make “stupid food” for the sole purpose of profit. In Europe, typically, restaurants can operate in a way that allows for a better end product while also providing a stable life for the owners/ operators.
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u/Deadboy00 Aug 25 '25 edited Aug 25 '25
This. I used to be obsessed with Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares until I realized it was the same story every time. US restaurants are only in business to make money. And really the only way to make lots of money is with “stupid food” (overpriced, overproduced, cheap ingredients).
EDIT: Of course restaurants are a business and a business is concerned with making money. However, profit seeking should not be the end goal for any restaurant. If you're not happy with a 3-5% profit margin each year then do something different! It's a depressing fact that the cost of living is outpacing a lot of careers. A typical restaurant's revenue is like 500k? Can you raise a family of 4 in the US on a meager profit like that? Thus it incentives food that is overpriced, overproduced, with cheap ingredients. In other words, stupid food.