Tag Archives: Restaurants

Encouraging Waste

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If I want a large drink, why am I encouraged to order over twice the fries I want? Then, of course, I toss half the fries.

It is a mindset that is difficult, nearly impossible to overcome. I have tried many ways. I order them separately, with a small fry and large drink, and the response is, “Would you like the meal…?” I have even tried to tell them to charge me for the large combo and give me the small fries. Some agree and give me the huge fries instead. Then of course, half of them end up in the trash. I must admit, they are determined.

Tonight, I decided on a new strategy. I ordered one large meal, one sandwich, and a large drink. My logic was to share my fries with my wife. There would still be more than enough.

Not just once, not just twice, but the employee suggested the meal three times seemed indignant that I would actually want my food my way.

Communication often proves challenging, especially when nuanced preferences seem to conflict with standard procedures. Despite my repeated attempts to clarify my specific order—emphasizing that I want a large drink but not large fries—I encounter consistent misunderstandings. The service staff appears bewildered by my non-standard request, wearing expressions of confusion and handling my order with apparent reluctance. It feels as though my deviation from expected patterns disrupts their typical workflow, making what should be a simple transaction unexpectedly complicated.

From now on, I’ll confidently state my order with clarity and conviction. “I want large drinks and regular fries. This is straightforward, and I expect to be understood immediately.” If asked to repeat myself, I’ll simply walk away.

Small Drink / Large Drink

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The restaurants have me confused. I thought the idea was to sell the most possible on each transaction. Yet, when I say a want a large drink, they want to sell me a small or a medium one. Well, it actually isn’t that way. I order a hamburger, a small fry and a large drink, they come back and ask, “Would you like the combo?”

I say, “No. I want a large drink and a small fry.”

“You will save (such and such amount) by getting the combo,” comes the reply.

“But I don’t want a large fry. I will just waste half the large one. I do want a large soda because, even though I can get refills, I do not want to be going back to the fountain every ten minutes.”

Maybe it doesn’t always go like that, but it would seem they all have pretty much the same dialog memorized. In many cases, to avoid angering the person behind the counter, I just order the large combo and waste the fries.

However, if you stop and think of it, it is to the advantage of the restaurant to sell me the larger drink. Let’s say, for convenience, the small drink is 50 cents and the large one is a dollar. If there is no charge for refills, I can drink one gallon (Sometimes I get thirsty just before eating) for the price of a small or a large. However, in the one case, it is a gallon for 50 cents and in the other it is a gallon for a dollar.

I mean, that is the way I figure the math. This makes me wonder all the more about the math the restaurants are using. Well, just maybe the difference is their cost of the large cup. Could it be that the larger cup is more than 50 cents more for the large cup. Could it be that they are afraid that I will drink more because I get a larger cup. Then, too, isn’t that kind of the idea.

Either way, why should I have to argue with them to get what I want. The irony of irony is that when I order the burger, small fries and large drink, they give me the large fries anyway, sometimes knowing I paid for the small one. By the way, it doesn’t do any good to tell them. I know. I tried it.

And so it is that I end up tossing half the fries they give me. Pardon me if I say, I really don’t understand their math. I really don’t understand their business plan.