Plain noodles, only $16.79!

[Redmic]

OK we had the "free" dining, but in reviewing our bill at Spoodles I noticed that my 11-year-old daughter's plate of plain ziti was listed at $16.79.

By my calculations, I could make 132 plates of plain ziti for that price (4 plates per box at 50 cents per box).

It's a good thing we love that Disney ambiance!

 

[Cass]

It was made of special wheat and cooked in special water.

 

[Caren]

It was made of special wheat and cooked in special water.

Your choice of Small World, Spash Mountain, or Pirates of the Caribbean water.

 

[minniebeth]

OK we had the "free" dining, but in reviewing our bill at Spoodles I noticed that my 11-year-old daughter's plate of plain ziti was listed at $16.79.

By my calculations, I could make 132 plates of plain ziti for that price (4 plates per box at 50 cents per box).

It's a good thing we love that Disney ambiance!

...and how many boxes of .50 cent pasta did you have to eat to be able to afford the pleasure of that $16.79 pasta!?

 

[kvogel11202]

As long as it was free dining, I'm sure they charge as much as possible to increase the waiter/waitress tip, which I have no problem with at all. But if you were paying out of pocket I have to hope it wouldn't be that high! That would be crazy!

 

[ElizabethB]

This is a perfect example of why, eventually, everyone will have to be on DDP. Another example is the $20 (or so) burger on the dinner menu at Chefs de France. The economics eventually will be such that paying OOP won't make any sense at all.

 

[bicker]

Perhaps, but I think more likely it is a reflection of the fact that a restaurant isn't in business to serve plain noodles. Scarce capital can be directed in other directions more profitably. The overall value of having that family dining experience is practically the same regardless of what food is actually ordered and/or eaten. Do you really enjoy a meal at Spoodles more because you ordered a $25 entree of something you don't like versus a $16 entree of something you do like? Of course not! So the difference between the menu prices almost doesn't make any sense in a value-based pricing scenario, like vacation dining. Whether via the Dining Plan or more prix fixe meals, I suspect we'll see more and more efforts to get the price you pay closer to the actual value you perceive, as demonstrated by your willingness to pay it.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Well that's why you don't go to better restaurants and order things like plain noodles or hamburgers.

 

[Shagley]

I'm sure it was 50 cents for the noodles, and $16.29 for the pixiedust

 

[CamColt]

I was thinking the same thing, Shagley...Pixie Dust always ups the cost.

I know when we go to Alfredos with the CP Package, all my DS will eat is a plate of plain pasta...of course since he will be 7 days past his 10th birthday that will cost us about $50.00.

 

[Henlady]

Just a thought, but if your dd had gotten sauce on that $16.79 plate of plain pasta, it still would have cost $16.79 and the sauce would actually have cost about $0.50. So you would have then paid $16.79 for $1.00 worth of pasta & sauce. Not much of a variance really. Here at home, if I order a steak salad without french fries, onions or tomatoes, I pay the same amount as if all that was left on.
Don't forget the restaurant had to pay the chef to cook it, the waitstaff to deliver it, the dishwasher to wash the dishes, the Workman's Compensation for all the employees, and liability insurance incase you fell in the restaurant or got sick on the pasta and sued them, as well as the cost of the equipment used to prepare the pasta. There is sooo much more in the cost of a restaurant meal than just the ingredients.

Sorry, thats just the business person in me.

 

[kparc]

You were simply charged the going rate for the fetticune. They simply left of the sauce as your daughter requested. I know we will run into the same problems with my daughter next time we go. She is a finicky eater but she will be charged as an adult. That's why next year it will be free dining (hopefully) or cs for us!

 

[apostolic4life]

Don't forget the restaurant had to pay the chef to cook it, the waitstaff to deliver it, the dishwasher to wash the dishes, the Workman's Compensation for all the employees, and liability insurance incase you fell in the restaurant or got sick on the pasta and sued them, as well as the cost of the equipment used to prepare the pasta. There is sooo much more in the cost of a restaurant meal than just the ingredients.

I agree with your summation....to a point. All those things are important in the pricing structure for the meal, but with that said everyone must be forced to agree with bicker:

Perhaps, but I think more likely it is a reflection of the fact that a restaurant isn't in business to serve plain noodles. Scarce capital can be directed in other directions more profitably. The overall value of having that family dining experience is practically the same regardless of what food is actually ordered and/or eaten. Do you really enjoy a meal at Spoodles more because you ordered a $25 entree of something you don't like versus a $16 entree of something you do like? Of course not! So the difference between the menu prices almost doesn't make any sense in a value-based pricing scenario, like vacation dining. Whether via the Dining Plan or more prix fixe meals, I suspect we'll see more and more efforts to get the price you pay closer to the actual value you perceive, as demonstrated by your willingness to pay it.

The same plate of pasta at most restaurants can be served for $3 to $4 and still be profitable for the establishment. With all the "extras" you get a WDW (i.e. pixie dusted everything) you are pleased to pay more for the aura that is Disney, rather than the meal.

 

[makinorlando]

Sounds like the $9.99 bowl of linguini with butter and some parm cheese that DD had at Capt Jack's on Monday. She was not excited about the kids menu (or the adult) options that day, and she loves just plain pasta......

 

[splashmtnman]

As long as it was free dining, I'm sure they charge as much as possible to increase the waiter/waitress tip, which I have no problem with at all. But if you were paying out of pocket I have to hope it wouldn't be that high! That would be crazy!

It was just to increase the tip I'm sure since you were using the DDP. I doubt you would have been charged that amount had you paid OOP. I was a Chef in extremely high end restaurants until about 4 years ago and would never have charged that for plain pasta. Maybe 9.95 but not 16.79. Four ounces of penne would cost about 12 cents.

 

[Moonpie]

Wow. I hope that was some goooooooooooood pasta!

 

[kaytieeldr]

It was just to increase the tip I'm sure since you were using the DDP. I doubt you would have been charged that amount had you paid OOP. I was a Chef in extremely high end restaurants until about 4 years ago and would never have charged that for plain pasta. Maybe 9.95 but not 16.79. Four ounces of penne would cost about 12 cents.

I don't believe legally a restaurant can charge more for a given menu item on a case-by-case basis "to increase the tip". Henlady? Bicker? Any idea?

No, instead Spoodles charged $16.79 for that entree because that's the price they charge for fettucine.

 

[bicker]

The same plate of pasta at most restaurants can be served for $3 to $4 and still be profitable for the establishment.

I think you're greatly under-estimating the cost of labor, the cost of customer acquisition, and the factilities-related costs. I think that plate of pasta, served here in Burlington, at $9, would be a money-loser.

I don't believe legally a restaurant can charge more for a given menu item on a case-by-case basis "to increase the tip".

The law generally precludes charging more for an item than the posted price. In this case ("plain noodles"), of course, there was no posted price, so there was no legal requirement to charge a certain amount. A reasonable person would likely understand the connection between the plain noodles and the actual dish on the menu that has noodles in it, and probably see that price as the maximum price the restaurant could charge (but we couldn't necessarily count on that). Regardless, the law only says you cannot charge more than that price... it doesn't say you cannot charge less, and it also doesn't say you have to charge everyone the same. The only restrictions in that regard are those that protect discrimination against members of a protected class (but understand that folks are allowed to discriminate in favor of a protected class, i.e., senior citizen discounts).

 

[flortlebap]

I'll put that in my book of meals to avoid

 

[apostolic4life]

I think you're greatly under-estimating the cost of labor, the cost of customer acquisition, and the factilities-related costs. I think that plate of pasta, served here in Burlington, at $9, would be a money-loser.

I am an Executive Chef for a food management company based in New York. I can assure you I have not under-estimated any of the related costs associated with this discussion.

I am saying the plain pasta could be profitable for $3 or $4 a plate; that does not mean you will be charged that price. You always pay more because of the public perception of value (i.e. if it is low priced it must not be very good), what your local market will bear (i.e. what do locals pay at other establishments for the same item), and popularity of any given menu item. All these factors affect what is finally set as the printed price on the menu and in doing so, they allow people to assume profitablity = high price.

You seem to do the same thing every person outside my industry tends to do; assume you know more than those of us who have been trained for this profession. Customer perception, the localized price ceiling for a particular item and demand for a particular item have much more to do with final menu pricing than actual cost incurred with the labor, food, and other misc. expenses. Most times the restaurant formula for costing a menu item is as follows: food 25-35%, labor 20-30%, additional misc. expenses (utilities, paper, maintenance, etc.) 10-12%. If the pasta cost me $.50 a portion, I could figure $.45 for labor and another $.12 for misc. expenses for a total of $1.07 as my cost for plain pasta. As I have said already, $3 - $4 would make me money, but if you are willing to pay me $9 - $17 for that same plate I will take it.

Nice try at attemping to discredit me. Better luck next time!