19 ways to save in a restaurant

Фото: Depositphotos

To get a sufficient level of profit on labor and building maintenance, the price of lunch at a restaurant is about 4 several times higher than the cost of the products used to prepare dishes. According to the National Restaurant Association, Americans spend more than $ 782 billion a year on food in restaurants.

Of course, lunch at a restaurant will never be cheaper than eating at home, but there are several ways to significantly reduce the bill in a cafe or restaurant, writes Eat this.

1. Order takeaway

Taking out food can often be cheaper than if you eat it in a restaurant. Former waiters advise ordering a small portion of salad or other dish, but asking to put it in a large take-out package - in this case, the restaurant employee will automatically put more dish than is included in the small portion, without even weighing the food, and you will get a larger portion for the same money.

2. Divide

If you buy take-out food - chicken or veal - you can divide the portion of meat in half, complementing it with a fresh vegetable salad prepared at home and wine bought at the supermarket. In a restaurant, such a lunch would cost about 2 times more.

3. Do not order bottled water

The cost of water in a restaurant is usually overestimated at least 2 times, since the establishment uses glass bottles and also tries to offer customers water from well-known brands, which significantly affects its value.

4. Avoid sugary carbonated drinks

Not only do they not bring health benefits, their cost in a restaurant also harms the wallet. A glass of cola from a supermarket will cost an average of 20 cents, while in a restaurant it will cost about $ 2.

5. Use the Internet

Many establishments report discounts, special offers and “happy” hours only on their websites and social networks, so subscribe to the pages of your favorite places and check out the promotions on their website before visiting a restaurant.

6. Take advantage of special offers for lunch

Many establishments offer sets of dishes for lunch, which will cost less, in some of them these dishes can be ordered even during dinner. In addition, it is worth considering the option of ordering smaller portions. This, firstly, will save money, and secondly, it will have a beneficial effect on health, since most restaurants offer portions that contain more calories than it is recommended to consume at one meal.

7. Bring alcohol with you.

In the US, there are restaurants that allow visitors to bring alcohol with them. This is a great choice for those who love to dine or dine with beer or wine, but want to save money. Restaurants are very high prices for alcohol, so its purchase in the supermarket will be much more profitable.

Фото: Depositphotos

8. Consider options for ready-made menus.

Many modern restaurants offer ready-made menus - sets of dishes that are usually ordered together. And if previously such offers were only in fast food and could have a bad effect on your figure, now you can find many healthy combinations of dishes, and buying them together will cost less than purchasing them separately.

9. Order for two

If you are having dinner with someone, order all the dishes for two, but one portion at a time, so you can try more different dishes and in most cases it is more economical than if everyone orders their own portions.

10. Talk to the waiter

A friendly conversation with a waiter can be very profitable: you get free treats, he will tell you about discounts or simply share what you need to order today so that the dish consists of the freshest ingredients.

11. Discard the dessert or order one for two

Most establishments purchase desserts from pastry shops and simply decorate them in their kitchens, while increasing the price. That is, the most economical option would be to buy dessert on the way home from a supermarket or pastry shop and enjoy it in your kitchen. If you really want something sweet in a restaurant, order one dessert for two - it’s cheaper and healthier.

12. Ask about discounts

Many restaurant visitors do not even realize that they are entitled to a discount. If you are a teacher, student, retiree or military member, there is a high probability that the restaurant has a discount for you, but you need to ask about it - as a rule, establishments do not advertise status discounts. In some places it can reach 10-15%.

13. Do not order special or specialty dishes.

Such dishes are almost always more expensive than standard items in me, but their quality and taste differences are not always very different from normal ones.

14. Order large portions

If you have a big company, or you came to eat ice cream with children, do not order one small portion for each, it is better to take a big one for all or for several people.

Фото: Depositphotos

15. Use the offers of "happy" hours

If your meal is not strictly time bound, and you can afford to go to a restaurant between lunch and dinner, when most of them offer discounts, take advantage of this opportunity.

16. Buy discounts and coupons

There are several sites where you can buy gift cards and coupons to visit the restaurant for half their face value.

Among them: Groupon, LivingSocial, Restaurant.com, GiltCity, Pulsd, Yelp.com and others.

17. Order snacks instead of the main dish.

Snacks are often served in fairly large portions, and if you add a salad to them, then the main course will simply not be desirable. Therefore, use a similar trick to save, because snacks are much cheaper than main dishes.

18. Have a snack before going to the restaurant

Coming to a restaurant, visitors are usually hungry, which makes them order several dishes and spend more money. But if, before going to a restaurant, to eat an apple or a handful of nuts, you will not be very hungry and will be able to choose one dish that is enough for you to eat.

19. Order a brunch

Brunch - the meal between breakfast and lunch - is usually the cheapest option at a restaurant, so if you can afford to visit during this time, it will be quite a good deal in terms of price.

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