Restaurant Discounts for Bariatric Surgery Patients?

[John&LaLa]

4 hours ago, CruiseAfterWLS said:

We are literally talking about people who eat a few spoonfuls. Sit back and let that sink in. 

 

Imagine you are the restaurant owner. A group would like to dine in and there are 5 people who will be paying for, ordering, and eating full meals, plus alcohol. There is 1 person in their group who might eat a couple of grape tomatoes and a bite of their partner's steak. If you will consider that and discount that 6th person, you get paid for their 5 companions, plus the server gets a good tip. Would you rather make that money (and keep them coming back) or send them away to some other restaurant where the person who can't eat a meal is treated more fairly?

 

Many restaurants have an extra plate charge. Never seen it on a cruise ship, but you never know. Maybe its something you ask when you make reservations,  not when you sit to the table. 

 

If Chops is willing to take $10 for a kid, they may accommodate 

[smplybcause]

5 hours ago, CruiseAfterWLS said:

We are literally talking about people who eat a few spoonfuls. Sit back and let that sink in. 

 

Imagine you are the restaurant owner. A group would like to dine in and there are 5 people who will be paying for, ordering, and eating full meals, plus alcohol. There is 1 person in their group who might eat a couple of grape tomatoes and a bite of their partner's steak. If you will consider that and discount that 6th person, you get paid for their 5 companions, plus the server gets a good tip. Would you rather make that money (and keep them coming back) or send them away to some other restaurant where the person who can't eat a meal is treated more fairly?

 

Actually, they might not want you to come back. Most restaurants have rather thin margin lines. Asking for a discount could easily make the profit margin on your companions disappear. Restaurants don't have just food costs to cover - they have to pay a lot of other things too and if you add up all the other overhead and labor costs it dwarfs what they spend on food costs. 

 

Giving a server a nice tip to makeup for you only ordering water is nice for the server, but doesn't negate the cost of the "seat" to the restaurant that they included in the price of their food. 

[BNBR]

8 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

 

Actually, they might not want you to come back. Most restaurants have rather thin margin lines. Asking for a discount could easily make the profit margin on your companions disappear. Restaurants don't have just food costs to cover - they have to pay a lot of other things too and if you add up all the other overhead and labor costs it dwarfs what they spend on food costs. 

 

Giving a server a nice tip to makeup for you only ordering water is nice for the server, but doesn't negate the cost of the "seat" to the restaurant that they included in the price of their food. 

 

Exactly. On top of that, what if they had to tie up a larger table for the extra person not eating and sharing?  It's generally fine, you get people that hang out and don't eat all the time.  But there is a difference when it's a cover...

[FLASHINGLIGHTS83]

So I think the entire point of the OP has been missed.   She was simply asking because she did not know the answer.   Is that a crime, cause some of the replies make it out to be.   I work in EMS, and we get discounts at numerous places.   It has given me the mentality of asking when I am on shift at places I am not familiar with.   Is this wrong?   I will not get the discount if I do not ask.   The most important part, and this tells a lot about a person, is how they act after asking.   If I ask, and they say yes, I say thank you very much.   If I ask, and they say no, I say no problem, thank you very much.   I do not EXPECT a discount anywhere, but I will not know if I don't ask.   

 

PS, I had a gastric sleeve procedure just over 2 months ago.   My surgeon gave me a medical card to carry around with me at restaurants that says the same thing.   The card asks for permission to allow me to order off the kids menu, or a smaller portion.   Does not say anything about giving me a discount.   Do I expect a discount when I go out to dinner? No.   Will I get one if I don't ask?   Maybe.   Point is, it never hurts to ask, but expecting one is not right.   The OP never said she was expecting one, or demanding one, she was simply inquiring about if there was one.   

[Iamcruzin]

12 hours ago, CruiseAfterWLS said:

So, you would prefer your friends have to pay to hang out with you, even though they won't be enjoying a meal like you are? Don't you think it's better not to tempt people who've been through hell trying to lose weight by making them feel the need to justify what they're being charged? Get real (and learn some empathy). 

No, I'm not about to throw a pity party for someone who has had weight loss surgery. I would welcome them to come and join but would understand if they declined. Maybe they can just sit at a table and not order a meal. I can see that as being an exception. Many have dietary needs but I don't see them asking for a reduction in price. My brother is bald and I have a full head of hair. He pays the same price for a haircut as I do.  If the friends had any empathy than they wouldn't even suggest the idea eating in a for fee restaurant.

[John&LaLa]

6 hours ago, smplybcause said:

 

Actually, they might not want you to come back. Most restaurants have rather thin margin lines. Asking for a discount could easily make the profit margin on your companions disappear. Restaurants don't have just food costs to cover - they have to pay a lot of other things too and if you add up all the other overhead and labor costs it dwarfs what they spend on food costs. 

 

Giving a server a nice tip to makeup for you only ordering water is nice for the server, but doesn't negate the cost of the "seat" to the restaurant that they included in the price of their food. 

 

6 hours ago, BNBR said:

 

Exactly. On top of that, what if they had to tie up a larger table for the extra person not eating and sharing?  It's generally fine, you get people that hang out and don't eat all the time.  But there is a difference when it's a cover...

 

How do you explain Kids Eat Free, or Kids Sail Free for that matter?

I don't have vast restaurant management experience, but I thought the point of such programs is to encourage parents to visit.

In other words, these seats are not made of gold. 

[CFIGuy]

Just another point of view - for land based restaurants, the actual cost of food is somewhere in the 20-30% range of the total cost on the menu.  Using similar formulation, say for a half portion, the food cost savings - assuming a $50 cover fee & 25% food cost - would be $6.25. Something tells me that a reduction of price of this amount would not make the other party happy. Just looking at the opportunity pricing aspect.

[plaz70]

I had my rectum and sigmoid colon removed 5 months ago and have a loop ileostomy.  I need to eat small frequent meals and must drink extra liquids to avoid dehydration which leaves less room for food.  I'm small and didn't eat much before the surgery and less now.  Even after I get my ileostomy reversed next month, I predict I will still be eating very small meals at least until my bowels become regular which can take a couple years.  On land based restaurants, I take most of the meal home.  We will be cruising in late December and if I go to a specialty restaurant, there is no way I will eat my money's worth.  Which is why my husband and I are not buying the dining package.  If we choose to go to a specialty restaurant, a large portion of my meal will go to waste, but I will still need to pay the adult cover charge.  Which is why we will not go to a specialty restaurant more then once during the cruise.  

[BNBR]

16 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

 

How do you explain Kids Eat Free, or Kids Sail Free for that matter?

I don't have vast restaurant management experience, but I thought the point of such programs is to encourage parents to visit.

In other words, these seats are not made of gold. 

 

Not sure how to explain. Every business is different. And if they have a kids eat free then that's their program and it's going to be rolled out a certain way.  A popular restaurant on a wait isn't typically doing kids eat free.  But that's beside the point.  Restaurant charges a cover, that's the price to sit at the table and eat.  Whether you eat a little or a lot, it's irrelevant.  Bypass folks still eat...

[BNBR]

15 minutes ago, plaz70 said:

I had my rectum and sigmoid colon removed 5 months ago and have a loop ileostomy.  I need to eat small frequent meals and must drink extra liquids to avoid dehydration which leaves less room for food.  I'm small and didn't eat much before the surgery and less now.  Even after I get my ileostomy reversed next month, I predict I will still be eating very small meals at least until my bowels become regular which can take a couple years.  On land based restaurants, I take most of the meal home.  We will be cruising in late December and if I go to a specialty restaurant, there is no way I will eat my money's worth.  Which is why my husband and I are not buying the dining package.  If we choose to go to a specialty restaurant, a large portion of my meal will go to waste, but I will still need to pay the adult cover charge.  Which is why we will not go to a specialty restaurant more then once during the cruise.  

 

Yeah, but you are acting like a responsible, rational adult and totally missing a sense of entitlement.  And that offends people apparently!

[John&LaLa]

14 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

 

The biggest difference is what you mentioned was something the restaurant is freely offering vs a customer walking in and asking for their kid to eat free. It's also different business models - the specialty restaurants on cruise ships would be more akin to say ruth chris on land which is expecting a much higher per person spend than applebees that's offering free kids. More along the lines of quality vs quantity - one is making their money by having a more expensive product and the other is making it by getting as many people in and out as quickly as they can. 

 

But Royal does offer free or reduced rates for children. They are not Ruth's Chris.

Anyway, it's up to the venue onboard to make this decision. 

 

BTW, we were on Harmony middle of August. Izumi gave me a 30% discount and I didn't even ask for it. It was on day 1 that we made a reservation for Day 4. So it's not like they knew they had a spot to fill. My point is, these venues give massive discounts all the time.  Nothing new

Edited October 15, 2019 by John&LaLa