Since COVID, we've been slowly trying to rebuild our lives outside of the house. It's not been easy. The pandemic lasted forever & COVID is still here. Past that, we've had our own issues to contend with, but we are trying. We keep hitting snags in the process.
Even before the pandemic a lot of places we frequented were either going out or changing to the point we no longer liked them. A lot of businesses never picked back up after COVID. We've tried some other places, but so far they're not the greatest fit.
A serious issue concerns pricing & quality. We hit a place yesterday for something to bring home. We used to go there fairly often, it was on the way out. The last time we tried to go it was closed. The time before we ordered 2 dinners & left paying just under $18 & that was an uptick on price. This time, we'd just eaten & this was going to something smaller for midday before dinner. We got 1 dinner & left. That single dinner was $13+. That's a 50% markup on price. To make matters worse, it wasn't the same quality as before & the portions were about a third smaller. In the end, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't worth the cost. So another place off the list, next.
I get inflation hit, but seriously $7+ for a basic Hardees burger is not reasonable. If restaurants keep upping their prices while downgrading size & quality, they can't be surprised when people walk away. A lot of us just can't afford those costs. Especially not when the quality is just so-so.
I guess we'll keep looking for the next thing. Still, we are trying to get back out there. It's just not been as smooth as we'd liked.
Take care.
Cya...
