[barbd00]

As a former restaurant worker I can honestly agree with the dessert, coffe and drinks. Restaurants make anywhere from 100% to 500% on each and every item that they "upsell". That wine that they charge $3.00 a glass for cost them less than a buck for each glass usually. Those pies and cakes that sell for $5 or so cost less than 2 bucks per.

Drinks are where they make a killing. It costs the average restaurant less than 50 cents to make a pot of coffee and yet they charge around a buck for each cup. 10 cups out of an average pot $9.50 profit for each pot of coffee they sell!

No wonder you get refills for free. Sodas... the bags they use for fountains, around $30 for several hundred sodas.

Alcoholic drinks aren't as high a profit but still really high.

Specials are usually the way to go, because they are working at very close to cost to sell them.