> The underlying reasons for this are financial: Restaurants can’t bother with low-margin dishes. They have fewer employees on the payroll, so they want to be more efficient with a smaller set of meals. They’re prioritizing fewer — and cheaper — ingredients.
I’m sure they are thinking about margins, but more generally, I think the issue is probably one of volume. If you have 25% as many people, maybe you remove unpopular items from the menu so that you aren’t ordering ingredients for them. For example, I have no idea whether oysters are high margin or not, but I suspect that people aren’t ordering them much for take out, so it doesn’t make sense to have them on the menu.
To expand on this a bit, multiple people in the business have told me that you can’t really buy much that only goes into one entree. So if you’re buying breaded chicken, it’s the same thing for your salads, your sandwiches/wraps, and any plated item. If one menu item isn’t moving, you can use your inventory on the others.
Obviously there are exceptions: Burger joints don’t need to do this with hamburger patties. Or you may buy a limited quantity of something you’re 100% sure is going to sell.
I’m sure they are thinking about margins, but more generally, I think the issue is probably one of volume. If you have 25% as many people, maybe you remove unpopular items from the menu so that you aren’t ordering ingredients for them. For example, I have no idea whether oysters are high margin or not, but I suspect that people aren’t ordering them much for take out, so it doesn’t make sense to have them on the menu.