Burger King on Bichara Blvd
 

First of all, I would want to mention that fast food prices are out of control.
I bit the price bullet and ordered a sandwich at Burger King on Bichara Blvd a few days ago. I always get a cup for water because I try not to drink anything with sugar in it and I certainly do not drink anything labeled diet because of the chemical content. The not so friendly woman behind the counter says we do not hand cups out for water anymore. Keep in mind the high menu prices and for years now the customer has to serve themselves for drinks making it less work for the employees and saving time. Are cups like a couple cents a piece? There are no other options as well. You cannot bring in your own drinks or outside cups, I'm assuming for health reasons. I'm not a big fast food person but everytime I went to one, I have always gotten a cup for water. Even after I walked out after cancelling my order, I went to another restaurant and gotten a cup for water like always.

I would avoid this restaurant. What's next, "would you like ice with your drink for 50 cents more?"

BK was at one time my favorite pig out, since Covid prices have gone up substantially, size of product shrunk , I think the Whopper now only has one P, service and quality down the porcelain fixture, cook for yourself and contend with the increase in grocery prices

I don't think it is about the cost of a cup. I suspect that the reason for not giving out cups is to prevent people from stealing drinks. Some restaurants have small cups at the drink machine for water. It is pretty obvious that there is a lot of retail theft going on and a serious lack of law enforcement. Some stores actually lock up their merchandise.

I agree. I believe that the small lose from beverage theft is incorporated into the price of food. How much is sugar water anyway? Lets make the customer happy and supply the small cups. Every other restaurant does (so far).

At the 30th anniversary celebration in Spanish Springs they were selling a cup of ice for 75 cents at the wine and beer kiosk.

Prices are very high for all food. At the grocery, at the fast food restaurants and at fancier restaurants they are extremely high. The very few times we have gone out to dinner lately in one of the Villages restaurants, we noticed sparse attendance. Is it the lack of competent staff? Is it the high prices? Is it a nefarious plot? It is certainly happening. EVERYWHERE. I am sorry you couldn't get free water.

High prices for mediocre food and service. Service has declined because tipping has become almost automatic, so management cannot control their employees, who are paid by the customers.

Then you should be happy that they are fighting theft in order to keep prices from rising further.

Interesting thread…..

My guess is that refusing to give a water cup is the policy of the franchisee and not a corporate policy over all. Sometimes the name of the franchisee is posted in the restaurant. Could be interesting to ask.

As far as prices go, eating out Is starting to make me feel stupid. Yes. There has been inflation, but it looks to me like restaurants, especially the chains, are way into price-gouging.

Inflation is coming down now, but you can bet your sweet bippy that restaurant prices will not.

Now, there is whining across the land that the Fed needs to start cutting. As one who has thought for decades that money was way too cheap, I hope the Fed holds a little longer and then takes baby steps, teeny-tiny baby steps.

Anyway, back to topic. . .If this is the franchisee’s business decision, they are going to see see even more turnover in employees — which are not easy to find anyway. Just imagine the increase in complaints, and sometimes even anger, that the people at the counter have to put up with from customers who just want water with their food.

Sure there are thieves among us who think taking pop they did not pay for is OK when, of course, it’s not and they know it. There are also things that go on in sit-down restaurants that might not be stealing but sure are rude….

(On a neighborhood outing to a restaurant in TV, I once found myself sitting across from a woman I did not know who ordered water — that part was OK — but when she said, “And bring me a whole bowl of lemons with it,” I wanted to crawl under the table.)

Price-gouging is starting to make some people think twice about where to spend their money. Add to that no water and it has to hurt the business because……Unrestrained greed is bad economics —eventually.

Boomer

Self serve is great with honest people, however, I have seen people walk off the streets into a burger king, with a cup, go directly to the soda fountain, get a drink, and walk back out the door.Therefore, the easiest way to stop inviting theft within their process is to stop handing out free cups with self serve soda at the same self serve machine as water.

Remember, its not about you when businesses make decisions, its about them and the customers and the freeloaders.

food prices are not really out of control, the pandemic has accelerated the retirement of many boomers, their move to the villages, and the expansion of the villages in the middle of nowhere has strained the limited service labor pool and competes with wages to keep the business from going bankrupt.

If you live in a capitalistic world, you live and die by capitalistic rules. The villages has been developed in the middle of rural FL, and continues to expand its population, resulting in the need for service labor for the increasing demand on current amenities. Food service is the biggest demand for service labor, and pays the least, minimum wage plus tips, and in a retirement community, tips might be hard to come by. The competition is 1 hour away in Orlando, where there are many jobs and many more than food service which pays higher.

So the local businesses have to pay either the dregs of society to work here or pay more to attract the next talent level up to staff or go out of business. And rural florida isn't full of high quality service labor looking for jobs. There are only so many service labor people who will work for retirees with higher wages and more social life 1 hour away. Likewise, if you want your service labor to live here, you have to pay a living wage, not a minimum wage, so

So pay up if you want the service business to stay in business for your business. Otherwise, maybe living somewhere else would satisfy your expectations of low prices. . .

We went to the BK on 466, the Whopper was beyond unedible, just horrible. The fish sandwich was not really much better.
My last trip ever to a BK, kinda sad but time to move along.

It is a myth that inflation is coming down. Inflation isn’t going up as fast as it did a couple of years ago but it is still going up.

It is like a flood. If the water goes up 10 feet above flood stage in one year and goes up 3 more feet the next year, the water is 13 feet above flood stage. The water is still rising.

Same with inflation.

We still have inflation but we have a lower rate of inflation. The goal of the fed is not to have no inflation but to have 2%.

Prices will not come down overall but will go up more gradually.

It amazes me how many people don't understand inflation. The only way to not have inflation is for the world to become totally stagnant. Nothing new, ever. Zero growth. Zero improvement. Tomorrow the same as today. Today same as yesterday, and the day before, as far back as forever.
Inflation is one sign of advancement or improvement. "New and improved" costs more to produce. Therefore it will cost more. Greater population means greater demand for everything. Everything will cost more. It isn't just here, it effects the whole world. It is a fact of life.
PS. And as for BK, I was never a fan. I was also creeper out by the King.

Thanks for your imformative input.