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Discrimination Against the Thin

A magnificent dinner, but once again I feel discriminated against. There was a great three-course menu for $48. We can afford the price, but not the calories and quantity of food. Buying what we want – two main courses, one appetizer to share and one dessert to share, all of which are among the choices on the three-course menu – costs $87, barely less than two three-course dinners containing 50 percent more dishes.
The cost of preparing our food and cleaning up after us must be less; and the cost of serving is probably also less. This can’t be the usual cost-based price discrimination, and I would think that our demand elasticity is not lower than most people’s, so it’s not demand-based either. So why are we paying so much for what we’re getting? My guess is that table space is scarce (on Saturday nights), and the restaurant owner can only make a reasonable profit by charging as if everyone bought at least a three-course meal.


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