Eating Out becoming a Luxury?

Skyrimaddict

Like everything, the cost have shot up on all aspects of life.

A quick look at a bank statement from 3 years ago will tell you that. Shopping, food out, takeway, min alcohol pricing. Its all about the inflation, mortgage has gone up, everything has really.

Business have to keep up with the costs themsevles, rents etc that dont ever seem to go down.

Only thing that have not shot up, outside of the tech sector, are wages.

Ezeoul

Article on RTE News this morning....

https://www.rte.ie/news/analysis-and-comment/2024/0121/1427622-restaurants-ireland/

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121658207#Comment_121658207

Tech salaries have not shot up and there were quite a lot of redundancies. Tech salary rates have come down or been flat for a few years. The big change has been work from home and even at that some companies forced their staff to return to their office. AI is a huge risk to their salaries so I wouldn't go around assuming IT staff are huge earners and it also requires lot of ongoing learning to stay in the field.

Isthisthingon?

As a kid in the 80's eating out in a restauraunt was a luxury, and a rare one at that. I can count on one hand the amount of times we went to a proper restaurant, and it was always for a function or event. I reckon it was simply down to the fact that my parents hadn't the money and therefore rarely did it. Fast forward to the late 90's early 2000's and eating out became far more frequent and the norm, perhaps the advent of the carvery trade made it convenient and affordable. My parents at this stage were retired but had no real debts so they ( and I) had more disposable income so it was a case of share the wealth. Now the wheel has come full circle, 3 kids later and all the expense of everyday life with even less to spend at the end of the month means that, I'm that 80's kid again.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121665819#Comment_121665819

Yeah, there was about 10 restaurants in Dublin in the 80's and into the 90's 😄. I remember Fan's on Dame Street being one of them, now closed a number of years. I also remember when all the American fast food places were starting to open, like McDonald's on O'Connell St.

Don't think I was even ever in a proper restaurant for most of the 80's though. Dinner was for having in the house.

We were probably better off too, all things considered. Good, old fashioned, mammy food.

Quitelife

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121665863#Comment_121665863

You’ll find that mammy back in the 80s was a stay at home mother and had time to prepare meals when kids came home from school or husband from work but now both parents are working to pay mortgage .

The price of houses or worse again paying rent is taking a huge percentage of peoples income leaving little for treats like eating out

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121638723#Comment_121638723

Not all of pub grub is horrific there are plenty of places that are fantastic, and constantly busy. With the meat cut in front of you etc. For those of a certain age in particular they are a "go to" and much healthier than many alternatives.

mariaalice

I have just tried to book a Restaurant for the 2 of Feb, it's all booked out already, so some restaurants are doing well.

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121666050#Comment_121666050

I like a carvery. I find them comforting cos they remind me of home cooking.

You're not expecting haute cuisine from a carvery, just a hearty feed

El_Duderino 09

Eating out is a luxury. It's pretty unusual to think it isn't. There was a time when the economy was doing great and people had cash on the hip for luxuries like eating out and annual holidays, new cars. But that's an anomaly, not the norm.

The norm is cooking at home, with ingredients that are relatively cheap, and bringing that food to work for lunch. Getting a meal deal sandwich if you're on the go is normal enough, but sitting down for a full cooked pub/restaurant dinner in the middle of the day IS a luxury. Going for a date night meal every week or 2 IS a luxury. Getting a take away every week or 2 IS a luxury.

Where did anyone get the idea that eating in a restaurant isn't a luxury?

SharkMX

Met my sister for food as we do once a month or so. She insisted on going to Avoca in Malahide again. It was always expensive but this time in the queue for food I see that tea is €4 and Fish and chips is €19.50. €9 for a slice of cake. I said lets go somewhere else but she said she wanted to stay because she was hungry.

Now I ALWAYS pay because she doesnt have much money, but I decided to teach her a lesson, since she was happy letting ME be gouged for overpriced food. As we got up to the counter I still had an empty tray and said i'll go get us a table. Off i went and sat down at the table so she would pay for her own food. She came over with her food and said "Jesus, this place is expensive. This cost €35". I just said. "Wow, we better not eat here again". Sometimes people only learn a lesson the hard way.

Dont be giving these gougers your money for low value food. It only drives them to up the price again.

mariaalice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121669130#Comment_121669130

However that Avoca is always packed though.

SharkMX

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121652357#Comment_121652357

I remember spending a weekend in Cork city about 15 years ago. Absolutely nothing open or anything to do on the Sunday.

Maybe its changed since but I never had the desire to go again.

SharkMX

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121669287#Comment_121669287

It wasnt packed that day. There were maybe 20 people in it. That was a Friday at 3pm. Maybe its packed on a Saturday and Sunday alright.

Creamy Goodness

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121669049#Comment_121669049

I'll admit this, eating out was a regular part of my upbringing (once maybe twice a month, birthdays/anniversaries etc.), I could see young adults (say 18-25) thinking that the idea of eating out isn't a luxury if it's been a part of their (and mine as a slightly older person) upbringing.

randd1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121658223#Comment_121658223

• Much cheaper to eat at home.
• Much, much easier to eat at home.
• With work from home in many cases meaning you're not on the road for an hour plus commuting, time to prepare a decent meal at home.
• Lack of decent/affordable parking in towns centres.
• Increased prices seeing quality of food/service slip in some establishments.
• Ridiculous rent/expenses driving prices through the roof.
• Some streets/towns don't feel safe past a certain time, especially for women.
• The increased standard in quality of ready meals at local supermarkets/butchers. Some of the pop-in-the-over meals, particularly those of a spicy variety, are just lovely. Not restaurant lovely, but an adequate substitute when you consider the costs/inconvenience of going out.

Take your pick really. It's nice to have a meal out, it really is, but 100 quid plus (between taxi's, a few drinks, the meal) isn't worth it for a lot of people, especially with more important things requiring to be paid.

And cafe's charging €20 for a lasagne and chips that was twice the size and half the price five years ago? People would fell start feeling ripped off by that.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121669049#Comment_121669049

I don't think they are playing with the full deck in terms of the population though. They are talking about the sector of the population who did eat out a lot.

Well I think there was a demographic, young urban professionals, renting in a shared house. And in that demographic, working in the city centre, having a business lunch in a restaurant \ carvery or toasted sandwich in a pub was normal enough, not a luxury. They wouldn't be cooking a dinner at home.

And even among that demographic... it is now a luxury.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121669899#Comment_121669899

Yeah that's it. There are other things which are becoming luxuries. Pints are a luxury these days too.

It depends on how you proportion your money. If you're willing to spend money on a carvery every week, that's fine but you then have to be honest with yourself about where the money will be cut from your budget.

Ireland does focus on luxury more than the UK. Over there you could get a burger and a pint for £7 or 2 curries for £10 on a Tuesday in the chain pubs. Food was only grand so then focus would be on the event of eating out together rather than the foo quality. Ireland has much more focus on food quality and it's reflected in the price.

For a person paying for childcare and saving for a house, everything is a luxury. Pints, holidays, cars, clothes, cinema tickets, are all luxuries.

Just need to be realistic. Talking to my FIL and his parents had a house, 2 cars, 2 children and went on a holiday and they considered themselves working class. That would be squarely middle class nowadays. Living standards haven't risen for this generation as they did for previous generations. Eating out might not have been a luxury 20years ago in the boom, but it is now. That's just reality.

Ezeoul

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121669866#Comment_121669866

I agree. My version of "dining out" now is going to a friend's or one of my siblings' homes for an evening meal- and inviting them to mine, in return.

I didn't go to restaurants very frequently pre-pandemic, and never since. If I did go, it was usually work-related.

I did like a good carvery though and used to go maybe twice a month. Again, haven't been back since Covid. I might try it this weekend.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121666623#Comment_121666623

Yeah, my elderly father loves them they get them at half price as well. He is the type of fella who would not like fancy restaurants hates to see any part of a plate.

On relation to the OP I had to laugh, because. We went to a really fancy restaurant with the family and American relations, would rarely go to place like that. The type of place my auld fella hates. But we were struck by all the young people there, table after table. It was an expensive place.

Then it dawned on me that it is really women (on the whole) that are economic drivers of the fine dining and eating out economy. They drag the men to fancy places because of the "ambiance" or to be seen etc. Or the men have to impress the woman. So she can say she was at 'xyz place". It seems less about food, but the actual experience and to be seen at a place etc?

As people get older they look for value, and more concerned with carvery's rather than fine dining etc.

Bluefoam

Jaysus... Haven't been to a carvary since the Dollymount House, don't want to either.

Viscount Aggro

Its a 2 tier society.

Plenty of people are having a great life ... example, Ballynahinch Castle hotel.. its booked out months in advance, e350 per night minimum.

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121671192#Comment_121671192

I guess couples have to do things as a couple like eating out and cinema. Single people can just slob out on the couch.

I do think Tiktok is great for marketing places also though. I discover loads of places but forget to go.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121671244#Comment_121671244

Ah the much missed Dollymount House... legendary :)

The Yacht still do a good one, I recommend the half portion unless you've really built up an appetite.

Full portion is massive but is now something like €17.95

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121671262#Comment_121671262

The trick is to find you a partner where you can both "slob out on the couch"!

We're firmly middle class. Closer to 40 than 30. Bought house in 2022, 2 new cars in the drive, 2 kids, foreign holiday etc. But we still notice the price increases and how what used to be say 30 quid 2-3 years ago is now 50+, be that shopping or food out. Even the likes of burger king is very expensive now, let alone the local takeaway and pub.

miamee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121671192#Comment_121671192

maybe eating out in a fancy restaurant has become the new going for pints? Young people don't seem to drink as much as people the same age 10 or 20 years ago. We used to be out some weeks on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday and if you had the stamina maybe one or two on a Sunday. Maybe we could have had a 3 course dinner for the same money! But we weren't interested in that then and the options weren't half as interesting or varied as they are now either.

I see sheep

It's another symptom of the massive inequality that gets worse year after year - some people have plenty of money to splash out but others are broke all the time.

Same as for housing.

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121671357#Comment_121671357

When I was "young" and of going for pints age, we'd go out wednesday to saturday and I'd be up at 8Am to go in to work on the sunday! Couldnt be at that now.

Our kids are approaching the same age bracket in a couple of years but our 18 year old doesnt have the same interest in drinking to oblivion that a younger ELM had. Probably for the best. They spend their money on gaming and food out now

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121671357#Comment_121671357

You could be on to something there, I never considered that. Makes sense as lots of pubs are closing etc. More demand for fine dining instead.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121671357#Comment_121671357

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/01/23/sober-gen-z-treasury-slump-sin-taxes-obr-chief/

Somehow young people a gobshytes for NOT drinking too much.

Some suggestions that young people have abandoned hope of ever owning a house or having children so they spend their money on one-off experiences like restaurants or a holiday. Sad that they don't have the same opportunities for wage growth as previous generations but that's the world older people chose to give them.