As someone who loathes the pretense, attitudes, and money-grubbing of so called "Fine-dining" I've long dreamed of the emergence of canteen style dining in the western world. Where I live, every new restaurant is more expensive than the last, with average entrees easily topping $20 in mid-market establishments, and $30+ being incredibly common. Prices are so astronomically high, as establishments are now primarily competing on "experience," meaning they're spending huge sums on fancy architecture and furnishings, drastically increasing their cost bases. Since they spent so much just to get the place up and running, you're subjected to constant up/cross selling, ludicrously overpriced drinks, and the pervasive sense that if you can't afford to eat there without caring how much you're spending, you don't really "belong" there.
I would love for nothing more than a basic, no-frills establishment that serves simple, healthy food, counter-service style so I don't have to deal with uppity yet somehow obsequious servers grubbing for tips, as I'm more than happy to bring my own damn food to my own damn table and am more than capable of filling a water glass when I'm thirsty. I'd much rather save money, enjoy my meal in peace and put my dishes in a bin on my way out than deal with the conspicuous consumption as a performance that so much of dining out has become these days.
I would love for nothing more than a basic, no-frills establishment that serves simple, healthy food, counter-service style so I don't have to deal with uppity yet somehow obsequious servers grubbing for tips, as I'm more than happy to bring my own damn food to my own damn table and am more than capable of filling a water glass when I'm thirsty. I'd much rather save money, enjoy my meal in peace and put my dishes in a bin on my way out than deal with the conspicuous consumption as a performance that so much of dining out has become these days.