PSA: restaurant waiters actually can clear $1M USD

[Boris Johnson]

[Dylan]

[PoS]

[PoS]

[Spider]

^Not that much.

I dry age beef in the garage fridge. Same effect. All you're doing is drawing out some water weight so the flavors are more concentrated, and letting the meat break down more for tenderness. Ya, you lose a lot of weight, but it doesn't transmute a 20 dollar steak into a 100+ dollar steak. At worst it would make 20 dollars worth about 30.

[Clarino]

Part of the appeal of overpriced restaurants is the same as first class travel, in that poor people can't afford it, so you can get away from them for a bit. There's a different atmosphere (except when the hoo-rays get pissed and behave like the people you were trying to avoid in the first place).

There's also the perception that a small improvement is much greater due to the vastly greater cost. This has been proven in studies, where identical wines in different bottles were consistently rated higher/lower based on perceived cost.

It's not necessarily a bad thing. If you believe what you're getting for what you're paying is good value then it is, whether someone who couldn't afford to waste such a sum of money agrees or not.

[PoS]

[JockandBallTorture]

[Decypher]

The price of alcohol is what most of you are ignoring in this discussion. I work in a fine dining restaurant and all the money comes from booze. After your €15 grey goose martini aperitifs, I'll sell you a €60 bottle of Poully Fuisse to go with your lobster or oyster starter and then an €80 St Emilion to accompany the €30 steaks. Add on Hennessy XO at €18 a pop with your coffee and you'll be so drunk you won't notice the service charge and tip big on top. Especially if I give you a free glass of cheap prosecco when you first sit down. I don't make the $1m mentioned in the OP but €50k+ no problem and I don't own the place.

[Spider]