Restaurant owners cry about thin margins but... - Episode 559 - The Scribble with Jeremy Bradley

We always hear about how little service workers are paid because restaurants operate on such thin margins. Jeremy Bradley calls BS on that. Why? "Explain $14 less-than-full glasses of wine when I can buy an entire bottle for $4 at Trader Joe"s," he says. "I"m paying $7 for a side of fries that equals one potato. Would you ever pay $7 for one potato?" Yes, factor in the prep time (if potatoes are cut in-house), materials (oil, fryer, etc.) but isn"t $7 a little extreme for a fried potato? On top of that, JB takes issue that he"s expected to "reward" staff for walking back and forth to do their jobs when it comes to tipping. Later, he explains that he doesn"t appreciate apps that solicit customers to tip before anything is even done with an order -- and manipulate customers with messaging like "orders with higher tips are often taken first" or "it"s raining, tip generously." NMP, he says -- not - my - problem -- about workers earning low wages or driving in rain if they agreed to take the job.