Do you use coupons and discount cards when going out to dine?

I use them; regularly. It matters not to me whether it's an independent or
chain. The coupons expose me to new restaurants in a part of my burg I might
not normally visit. If the food was good, the service stellar, and the
prices reasonable, I'll add them to my rotation. Better still, for the
restaurant, I'll immediately post about my experiences and (hopefully)
they'll profit from those visits.
That's the whole point of offering coupons; to generate traffic that
otherwise wouldn't be there. If the business did not think they could
benefit from them, they wouldn't accept them. I've seen businesses that post
signs regarding this, "Coupons from XYZ are no longer honored."

Perversely, if the place sucks, then I haven't wasted too much on the
experience and it's given me a chance to warn others from my folly.

The Ranger

On Jul 15, 9:13*am, "The Ranger" > wrote:
> Do you use coupons and discount cards when going out to dine?
>
> I use them; regularly. It matters not to me whether it's an independent or
> chain. The coupons expose me to new restaurants in a part of my burg I might
> not normally visit. If the food was good, the service stellar, and the
> prices reasonable, I'll add them to my rotation. Better still, for the
> restaurant, I'll immediately post about my experiences and (hopefully)
> they'll profit from those visits.
> That's the whole point of offering coupons; to generate traffic that
> otherwise wouldn't be there. If the business did not think they could
> benefit from them, they wouldn't accept them. I've seen businesses that post
> signs regarding this, "Coupons from XYZ are no longer honored."
>
> Perversely, if the place sucks, then I haven't wasted too much on the
> experience and it's given me a chance to warn others from my folly.
>
> The Ranger

=======================
Yes if I'm interested in the cuisine and I can afford it. Especially
with new restaurants. But once I have a negative experience in ANY
retail business, I never darken that door again.
Lynn in Fargo
where a new (chain) restaurant opens every month

On Jul 15, 9:13*am, "The Ranger" > wrote:
> Do you use coupons and discount cards when going out to dine?
>
> I use them; regularly. It matters not to me whether it's an independent or
> chain. The coupons expose me to new restaurants in a part of my burg I might
> not normally visit. If the food was good, the service stellar, and the
> prices reasonable, I'll add them to my rotation. Better still, for the
> restaurant, I'll immediately post about my experiences and (hopefully)
> they'll profit from those visits.
> That's the whole point of offering coupons; to generate traffic that
> otherwise wouldn't be there. If the business did not think they could
> benefit from them, they wouldn't accept them. I've seen businesses that post
> signs regarding this, "Coupons from XYZ are no longer honored."
>
> Perversely, if the place sucks, then I haven't wasted too much on the
> experience and it's given me a chance to warn others from my folly.

Do you buy the Entertainment Book?
Use restaurant.com?

We used a restaurant.com dining certificate yesterday in Chicago. It
ended up saving us almost exactly 50%.
>
> The Ranger

--Bryan

Bobo Bonobo® > wrote in message
...
[snip]
> Do you buy the Entertainment Book?

Without a doubt, that's [the Enterntainment Book] the big gun in my
coupon-and-card arsenal but it's not the only one. There's a new one I
received as a gift, Giftcheckadventures.com, that's finding significant
usage, too.

> Use restaurant.com?

No; I've found that I don't use most of the web-based services nearly as
much as the physical coupon books. I don't know why; I love having the web
stuff pushed to me. The reservation tool/service (I've drawn a blank on it
since SWMBO is the one that prefers using that) is also part of our dining
out arsenal.

The Ranger

On Jul 15, 7:50*am, Lynn from Fargo Ografmorffig >
wrote:
[snip]
> Yes if I'm interested in the cuisine and I can afford it. *Especially
> with new restaurants. *But once I have a negative experience in ANY
> retail business, *I never darken that door again.

EXACTLY! I don't care if they're an independent or chain; if they
can't keep me as a customer, then why do I want to give them more
money?

I was talking to a friend that dines out almost every night, often
twice a day. He has some favorite haunts and one that we are
diametrically polar opposites on; it's a crepe place. He will put up
with snotty servers, incorrect checks, and dirty silverware because he
says the crepes are so good. Screw that! There are too many other
places to try! But I am apparently alone in that feeling because the
place is doing very nicely in this recession. Go figure.

The Ranger

On Jul 15, 10:13*am, "The Ranger" > wrote:
> Do you use coupons and discount cards when going out to dine?
>
> I use them; regularly. It matters not to me whether it's an independent or
> chain. The coupons expose me to new restaurants in a part of my burg I might
> not normally visit. If the food was good, the service stellar, and the
> prices reasonable, I'll add them to my rotation. Better still, for the
> restaurant, I'll immediately post about my experiences and (hopefully)
> they'll profit from those visits.
> That's the whole point of offering coupons; to generate traffic that
> otherwise wouldn't be there. If the business did not think they could
> benefit from them, they wouldn't accept them. I've seen businesses that post
> signs regarding this, "Coupons from XYZ are no longer honored."
>
> Perversely, if the place sucks, then I haven't wasted too much on the
> experience and it's given me a chance to warn others from my folly.
>
> The Ranger

We've tried them at various times. Around here, it's mostly the
chains that offer them, and those I can do without. There is
something called restaurants.com or the like that you pay $5 and get a
coupon worth $10 off a meal, sometimes as much as $35 for maybe $10.
Haven't had much luck. The places that interested us were just ok,
nothing spectacular.

The Entertainment books that you buy for $25 and have hundreds of BOGO
coupons for hundreds of restaurants didn't pan out for us either.

maxine in ri

On Jul 15, 10:47*am, "The Ranger" > wrote:
> Bobo Bonobo® > wrote in message
>
> ...
> [snip]
>
> > Do you buy the Entertainment Book?
>
> Without a doubt, that's [the Enterntainment Book] the big gun in my
> coupon-and-card arsenal but it's not the only one. There's a new one I
> received as a gift, Giftcheckadventures.com, that's finding significant
> usage, too.
>
> > Use restaurant.com?
>
> No; I've found that I don't use most of the web-based services nearly as
> much as the physical coupon books. I don't know why; I love having the web
> stuff pushed to me. The reservation tool/service (I've drawn a blank on it
> since SWMBO is the one that prefers using that) is also part of our dining
> out arsenal.

I have gotten deals from restaurant.com that meant a $35 check cost me
only $12, plus tax and tip on the whole $35. If you sign up they'll
send you the deep discount info. For the past several years we've
bought 10 or more Entertainment books because the grocery discounts
cover more than the price of the books.
>
> The Ranger

--Bryan

The Ranger wrote:
> Do you use coupons and discount cards when going out to dine?
>
> I use them; regularly. It matters not to me whether it's an independent or
> chain. The coupons expose me to new restaurants in a part of my burg I might
> not normally visit. If the food was good, the service stellar, and the
> prices reasonable, I'll add them to my rotation. Better still, for the
> restaurant, I'll immediately post about my experiences and (hopefully)
> they'll profit from those visits.
> That's the whole point of offering coupons; to generate traffic that
> otherwise wouldn't be there. If the business did not think they could
> benefit from them, they wouldn't accept them. I've seen businesses that post
> signs regarding this, "Coupons from XYZ are no longer honored."
>
> Perversely, if the place sucks, then I haven't wasted too much on the
> experience and it's given me a chance to warn others from my folly.
>
> The Ranger

Go to Brad's Deals and click on "Printable Coupons" at the top of the
page. Then look at the menu, they have over 3000 coupons. Wow.


http://bradsdeals.com/


Becca

Bobo Bonobo® said...

> Use restaurant.com?


I just gave it a try and found the search severely lame!

I searched for restaurants in my town and out of probably 100 restaurants,
it only found four within a 30 mile radius!?! 30 miles should've pulled in
all of Philadelphia, state of Delaware and part of south New Jersey.

When I searched:

"within 15 miles" of Philadelphia
Result: 255 restaurants.

"within 30 miles" of Philadelphia
Result: 93 restaurants?

WTF??? Increasing the radius should increase the results not lower them.

LAME!

Andy

The Ranger wrote:
> Do you use coupons and discount cards when going out to dine?
>
> I use them; regularly. It matters not to me whether it's an independent or
> chain. The coupons expose me to new restaurants in a part of my burg I might
> not normally visit. If the food was good, the service stellar, and the
> prices reasonable, I'll add them to my rotation. Better still, for the
> restaurant, I'll immediately post about my experiences and (hopefully)
> they'll profit from those visits.
> That's the whole point of offering coupons; to generate traffic that
> otherwise wouldn't be there. If the business did not think they could
> benefit from them, they wouldn't accept them. I've seen businesses that post
> signs regarding this, "Coupons from XYZ are no longer honored."
>
> Perversely, if the place sucks, then I haven't wasted too much on the
> experience and it's given me a chance to warn others from my folly.
>
> The Ranger
>
>
There is no entertainment book for the area we live in. There is a
coupon book but it's mostly for McAllen and that's a bit distant, but
the local TV station has these Discounts for Dining or some such thing
where they offer $50 gift certificates to selected restaurants for $25.
The offers begin on Thursday morning so if you want to nail one you
*must* be at the computer at 7:59 AM and hit the enter key at 8:00 AM.

Most of the time you can request 2 certificates so I get $100 worth of
dining for $50 and a small processing fee of about $3. They feature
independent and some chains, too. This really helps when the kids visit
and we are taking them out for dinner.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

On Jul 15, 9:13*am, "The Ranger" > wrote:
> Do you use coupons and discount cards when going out to dine?
>
> I use them; regularly. It matters not to me whether it's an independent or
> chain. The coupons expose me to new restaurants in a part of my burg I might
> not normally visit. If the food was good, the service stellar, and the
> prices reasonable, I'll add them to my rotation. Better still, for the
> restaurant, I'll immediately post about my experiences and (hopefully)
> they'll profit from those visits.
> That's the whole point of offering coupons; to generate traffic that
> otherwise wouldn't be there. If the business did not think they could
> benefit from them, they wouldn't accept them. I've seen businesses that post
> signs regarding this, "Coupons from XYZ are no longer honored."
>
> Perversely, if the place sucks, then I haven't wasted too much on the
> experience and it's given me a chance to warn others from my folly.
>
> The Ranger

OH GOD you were one of those fat ****ers clogging up the intersection
in front of the Long John Silvers yesterday, in line to get your
****ing free fish taco, you should be ashamed of yourself you fat
decadent piece of shit.

pvc > spewed in message
...
[snip]
> you were one of those [..] clogging up the intersection
> [at] Long John Silvers yesterday
[snip remaining foam-flecked dreck]

No, damnation, I missed that one. And here was a chance to inconvenience
you, too!

I was at Der Weinerschnitzel getting my free soft-cone.

The Ranger

On Jul 15, 9:30*am, Bobo Bonobo® > wrote:
> On Jul 15, 10:47*am, "The Ranger" > wrote:
> > Bobo Bonobo® > wrote in message ...
[snip]
> > > Use restaurant.com?

> > No; I've found that I don't use most of the web-based services nearly as
> > much as the physical coupon books. I don't know why; I love having the web
> > stuff pushed to me. The reservation tool/service (I've drawn a blank on it
> > since SWMBO is the one that prefers using that) is also part of our dining
> > out arsenal.

> I have gotten deals from restaurant.com that meant a $35 check cost me
> only $12, plus tax and tip on the whole $35. *If you sign up they'll
> send you the deep discount info. *For the past several years we've
> bought 10 or more Entertainment books because the grocery discounts
> cover more than the price of the books.

Oh I'm signed up for it. Those discounts are what originally got me to
sign up for it. I just haven't had much success with it.

The Ranger

On Jul 15, 12:16*pm, "The Ranger" > wrote:
> pvc > spewed in ...
> [snip]> you were one of those [..] clogging up the intersection
> > [at] Long John Silvers yesterday
>
> [snip remaining foam-flecked dreck]
>
> No, damnation, I missed that one. And here was a chance to inconvenience
> you, too!
>
> I was at Der Weinerschnitzel getting my free soft-cone.

HA! That's what the SWMBO said on yer wedding night!

Janet Wilder wrote:
> There is no entertainment book for the area we live in. There is a
> coupon book but it's mostly for McAllen and that's a bit distant, but
> the local TV station has these Discounts for Dining or some such thing
> where they offer $50 gift certificates to selected restaurants for
> $25. The offers begin on Thursday morning so if you want to nail one
> you *must* be at the computer at 7:59 AM and hit the enter key at 8:00
> AM.
>
> Most of the time you can request 2 certificates so I get $100 worth of
> dining for $50 and a small processing fee of about $3. They feature
> independent and some chains, too. This really helps when the kids
> visit and we are taking them out for dinner.
>

For many years, I went to a restaurant in Matamoros called The Drive
Inn. It was about 4-5 blocks from the border. They had a band, a dance
floor, white tablecloths, candles on the table, and the best hearts of
palm salad. In their souvenir shop they sold Rolex watches. I looked
for the The Drive Inn when I had sinus surgery in Matamoros, but the
building had been demolished. :-( Bummer.


Becca

On Jul 15, 11:29*am, maxine > wrote:
> On Jul 15, 10:13*am, "The Ranger" > wrote:
>
>
>
> > Do you use coupons and discount cards when going out to dine?
>
> > I use them; regularly. It matters not to me whether it's an independent or
> > chain. The coupons expose me to new restaurants in a part of my burg I might
> > not normally visit. If the food was good, the service stellar, and the
> > prices reasonable, I'll add them to my rotation. Better still, for the
> > restaurant, I'll immediately post about my experiences and (hopefully)
> > they'll profit from those visits.
> > That's the whole point of offering coupons; to generate traffic that
> > otherwise wouldn't be there. If the business did not think they could
> > benefit from them, they wouldn't accept them. I've seen businesses that post
> > signs regarding this, "Coupons from XYZ are no longer honored."
>
> > Perversely, if the place sucks, then I haven't wasted too much on the
> > experience and it's given me a chance to warn others from my folly.
>
> > The Ranger
>
> We've tried them at various times. *Around here, it's mostly the
> chains that offer them, and those I can do without. *There is
> something called restaurants.com or the like that you pay $5 and get a
> coupon worth $10 off a meal, sometimes as much as $35 for maybe $10.
> Haven't had much *luck. *The places that interested us were just ok,
> nothing spectacular.

Guess it depends what city you're in. In St. Louis, they are
definitely a good deal, and I just used one in CHI and have bought a
couple for next month's trip to Eureka Springs..

There's another company similar to restaurants.com in the ABQ/SFE area
called 999dine.com: http://999dine.com/
>
> The Entertainment books that you buy for $25 and have hundreds of BOGO
> coupons for hundreds of restaurants didn't pan out for us either.

Those are a great deal too here.
>
> maxine in ri

--Bryan

On Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:29:02 -0700 (PDT), maxine >
wrote:

>We've tried them at various times. Around here, it's mostly the
>chains that offer them, and those I can do without. There is
>something called restaurants.com or the like that you pay $5 and get a
>coupon worth $10 off a meal, sometimes as much as $35 for maybe $10.
>Haven't had much luck. The places that interested us were just ok,
>nothing spectacular.
>
>The Entertainment books that you buy for $25 and have hundreds of BOGO
>coupons for hundreds of restaurants didn't pan out for us either.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I looked at restaurants.com and was under
whelmed too. Back in the day I bought or was given a couple of
"entertainment" books. Didn't get my money's worth out of them and
never found a restaurant that became a favorite. What the restaurants
tend to do is have special meals (which are pretty good for the most
part) for the coupon, but you have to order from the menu after that
and it's never as good as that sample platter was. Packets of free
coupons are sent to the house - mainly because of our zip code, so we
get offers other zips don't get. Those coupons are what I've had the
best luck with in the past, but even they have lost their appeal in
the last few years.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Jul 15, 2:26*pm, sf > wrote:
> On Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:29:02 -0700 (PDT), maxine >
> wrote:
>
> >We've tried them at various times. *Around here, it's mostly the
> >chains that offer them, and those I can do without. *There is
> >something called restaurants.com or the like that you pay $5 and get a
> >coupon worth $10 off a meal, sometimes as much as $35 for maybe $10.
> >Haven't had much *luck. *The places that interested us were just ok,
> >nothing spectacular.
>
> >The Entertainment books that you buy for $25 and have hundreds of BOGO
> >coupons for hundreds of restaurants didn't pan out for us either.
>
> Yeah, I know what you mean. *I looked at restaurants.com and was under
> whelmed too. *

That's actually good from my perspective. Others who pay full price
subsidize my buying power.

> Back in the day I bought or was given a couple of
> "entertainment" books. *Didn't get my money's worth out of them and
> never found a restaurant that became a favorite. *What the restaurants
> tend to do is have special meals (which are pretty good for the most
> part) for the coupon, but you have to order from the menu after that
> and it's never as good as that sample platter was. *

That's not how Entertainment works. It's straight up BOGO, but with a
$ limit. Often only a few items are cheap enough such that you really
do get the second item free.

Ex. BOGO w/ $7 limit, and you get two $9 entrees. 9+9=18-7=11. So
you get two $9 entrees for $11.

> Packets of free
> coupons are sent to the house - mainly because of our zip code, so we
> get offers other zips don't get. *Those coupons are what I've had the
> best luck with in the past, but even they have lost their appeal in
> the last few years.
>
> --
> I love cooking with wine.
> Sometimes I even put it in the food.

My son read your tag line and thought it was funny.

--Bryan

Becca wrote:
> Janet Wilder wrote:
>> There is no entertainment book for the area we live in. There is a
>> coupon book but it's mostly for McAllen and that's a bit distant, but
>> the local TV station has these Discounts for Dining or some such thing
>> where they offer $50 gift certificates to selected restaurants for
>> $25. The offers begin on Thursday morning so if you want to nail one
>> you *must* be at the computer at 7:59 AM and hit the enter key at 8:00
>> AM.
>>
>> Most of the time you can request 2 certificates so I get $100 worth of
>> dining for $50 and a small processing fee of about $3. They feature
>> independent and some chains, too. This really helps when the kids
>> visit and we are taking them out for dinner.
>>
>
> For many years, I went to a restaurant in Matamoros called The Drive
> Inn. It was about 4-5 blocks from the border. They had a band, a dance
> floor, white tablecloths, candles on the table, and the best hearts of
> palm salad. In their souvenir shop they sold Rolex watches. I looked
> for the The Drive Inn when I had sinus surgery in Matamoros, but the
> building had been demolished. :-( Bummer.
>

We don't go to Matamoros. Too scary right now.

We usually go to the little tourist town of Nuevo Progreso. It's not
very busy in the summer, though it has its share of tourists from SPI.
In the winter it's crowded with Winter Texans buying pharmaceuticals and
partying. My dentist is there and I go to buy tequila and Controy for
margaritas. Going next Tuesday and muling some drugs for a friend in
California.

Those "genuine, immitation Rolex watches" used to be cheapest in Los
Algadones, AZ where I believe the factory is.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

The Ranger wrote:
> Do you use coupons and discount cards when going out to dine?

When I think to.

Serene
--
42 Magazine, celebrating life with meaning. Inaugural issue is here!
http://42magazine.com

"But here's a handy hint: if your fabulous theory for ending war and
all other human conflict will not survive an online argument with
humourless feminists who are not afraid to throw rape around as an
example, your theory needs work." -- Aqua, alt.polyamory

In article >,
"The Ranger" > wrote:

> Do you use coupons and discount cards when going out to dine?
>
> I use them; regularly. It matters not to me whether it's an independent or
> chain. The coupons expose me to new restaurants in a part of my burg I might
> not normally visit. If the food was good, the service stellar, and the
> prices reasonable, I'll add them to my rotation. Better still, for the
> restaurant, I'll immediately post about my experiences and (hopefully)
> they'll profit from those visits.
> That's the whole point of offering coupons; to generate traffic that
> otherwise wouldn't be there. If the business did not think they could
> benefit from them, they wouldn't accept them. I've seen businesses that post
> signs regarding this, "Coupons from XYZ are no longer honored."
>
> Perversely, if the place sucks, then I haven't wasted too much on the
> experience and it's given me a chance to warn others from my folly.

I rarely use restaurant coupons because they are almost always a 2-for-1
deal such as order one spaghetti dinner and get another one for free.
When I dine out alone, those coupons are useless because I am not going
to eat two dinners in one sitting and I am not good at using left overs.
Even when I am dining with other people, it seems like its only the rare
occasion where we can agree to go to a place where one of us might have
a coupon and we agree on the terms of the coupon.

If the coupon is like the one I have in my wallet now, where its good
for a discounted price off a new kind of hamburger at Applebees (not buy
one get one free), I might use it.

On Jul 16, 5:58*am, Stan Horwitz > wrote:
> In article >,
> *"The Ranger" > wrote:
>
> > Do you use coupons and discount cards when going out to dine?
>
> > I use them; regularly. It matters not to me whether it's an independent or
> > chain. The coupons expose me to new restaurants in a part of my burg I might
> > not normally visit. If the food was good, the service stellar, and the
> > prices reasonable, I'll add them to my rotation. Better still, for the
> > restaurant, I'll immediately post about my experiences and (hopefully)
> > they'll profit from those visits.
> > That's the whole point of offering coupons; to generate traffic that
> > otherwise wouldn't be there. If the business did not think they could
> > benefit from them, they wouldn't accept them. I've seen businesses that post
> > signs regarding this, "Coupons from XYZ are no longer honored."
>
> > Perversely, if the place sucks, then I haven't wasted too much on the
> > experience and it's given me a chance to warn others from my folly.
>
> I rarely use restaurant coupons because they are almost always a 2-for-1
> deal such as order one spaghetti dinner and get another one for free.
> When I dine out alone, those coupons are useless because I am not going
> to eat two dinners in one sitting and I am not good at using left overs.
> Even when I am dining with other people, it seems like its only the rare
> occasion where we can agree to go to a place where one of us might have
> a coupon and we agree on the terms of the coupon.
>
> If the coupon is like the one I have in my wallet now, where its good
> for a discounted price off a new kind of hamburger at Applebees (not buy
> one get one free), I might use it.

It'd have to be a hechuva coupon to get me into one of those chains
like Applebee's.

--Bryan

On Jul 16, 6:27*am, Bobo Bonobo® > wrote:
> On Jul 16, 5:58*am, Stan Horwitz > wrote:
>
>
>
> > In article >,
> > *"The Ranger" > wrote:
>
> > > Do you use coupons and discount cards when going out to dine?
>
> > > I use them; regularly. It matters not to me whether it's an independent or
> > > chain. The coupons expose me to new restaurants in a part of my burg I might
> > > not normally visit. If the food was good, the service stellar, and the
> > > prices reasonable, I'll add them to my rotation. Better still, for the
> > > restaurant, I'll immediately post about my experiences and (hopefully)
> > > they'll profit from those visits.
> > > That's the whole point of offering coupons; to generate traffic that
> > > otherwise wouldn't be there. If the business did not think they could
> > > benefit from them, they wouldn't accept them. I've seen businesses that post
> > > signs regarding this, "Coupons from XYZ are no longer honored."
>
> > > Perversely, if the place sucks, then I haven't wasted too much on the
> > > experience and it's given me a chance to warn others from my folly.
>
> > I rarely use restaurant coupons because they are almost always a 2-for-1
> > deal such as order one spaghetti dinner and get another one for free.
> > When I dine out alone, those coupons are useless because I am not going
> > to eat two dinners in one sitting and I am not good at using left overs..
> > Even when I am dining with other people, it seems like its only the rare
> > occasion where we can agree to go to a place where one of us might have
> > a coupon and we agree on the terms of the coupon.
>
> > If the coupon is like the one I have in my wallet now, where its good
> > for a discounted price off a new kind of hamburger at Applebees (not buy
> > one get one free), I might use it.
>
> It'd have to be a hechuva coupon to get me into one of those chains
> like Applebee's.

Applebee's sucks! Went there once (OK, twice), first time with my
father and sister for our monthly First Tues dinner out. What
Applebee's did to a "steak" should be illegal!

The second time I went was with my clinical group, and I got to sit
next to my 20 YO Penthouse cute fellow nursing student! She suggested
some kind of wrap (she had been there before) and whatever failings
the wrap had were more than adequately compensated for by my
company! :-)

John Kuthe...


>
> --Bryan

On Jul 16, 7:18*am, John Kuthe > wrote:
> On Jul 16, 6:27*am, Bobo Bonobo® > wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Jul 16, 5:58*am, Stan Horwitz > wrote:
>
> > > In article >,
> > > *"The Ranger" > wrote:
>
> > > > Do you use coupons and discount cards when going out to dine?
>
> > > > I use them; regularly. It matters not to me whether it's an independent or
> > > > chain. The coupons expose me to new restaurants in a part of my burg I might
> > > > not normally visit. If the food was good, the service stellar, and the
> > > > prices reasonable, I'll add them to my rotation. Better still, for the
> > > > restaurant, I'll immediately post about my experiences and (hopefully)
> > > > they'll profit from those visits.
> > > > That's the whole point of offering coupons; to generate traffic that
> > > > otherwise wouldn't be there. If the business did not think they could
> > > > benefit from them, they wouldn't accept them. I've seen businesses that post
> > > > signs regarding this, "Coupons from XYZ are no longer honored."
>
> > > > Perversely, if the place sucks, then I haven't wasted too much on the
> > > > experience and it's given me a chance to warn others from my folly.
>
> > > I rarely use restaurant coupons because they are almost always a 2-for-1
> > > deal such as order one spaghetti dinner and get another one for free.
> > > When I dine out alone, those coupons are useless because I am not going
> > > to eat two dinners in one sitting and I am not good at using left overs.
> > > Even when I am dining with other people, it seems like its only the rare
> > > occasion where we can agree to go to a place where one of us might have
> > > a coupon and we agree on the terms of the coupon.
>
> > > If the coupon is like the one I have in my wallet now, where its good
> > > for a discounted price off a new kind of hamburger at Applebees (not buy
> > > one get one free), I might use it.
>
> > It'd have to be a hechuva coupon to get me into one of those chains
> > like Applebee's.
>
> Applebee's sucks! Went there once (OK, twice), first time with my
> father and sister for our monthly First Tues dinner out. What
> Applebee's did to a "steak" should be illegal!
>
> The second time I went was with my clinical group, and I got to sit
> next to my 20 YO Penthouse cute fellow nursing student! She suggested
> some kind of wrap (she had been there before) and whatever failings
> the wrap had were more than adequately compensated for by my
> company! :-)

1. Penthouse-cute should have been hyphenated.
2. Wanna get lunch sometime? I promise not to discuss the finer
points of grammar. I have lots of those 2 for 1 coupons, so it'd be
cheap.
>
> John Kuthe...
>
> > --Bryan

--Bryan

"Serene Vannoy" > wrote in message
...
> The Ranger wrote:
>> Do you use coupons and discount cards when going out to dine?
>
> When I think to.
>
> Serene

Typically there's a proviso that the discount coupon must be presented
before/at ordering (not when paying).
Sometimes the discount coupons are legit but most often they're a come-on,
just to entice folks through the door, whereas the food is prepared with
slightly inferior ingredients, ie smaller shrimp and/or fewer, or a smaller
lesser quality steak, or certain sides are x-tra cost items, etc.... there
is invaribly some gimmick with discount restaurant coupons otherwise WTF
would they need to be presented prior to ordering... that's like showing the
blackjack dealer your cards but they don't show theirs. Now I'm not
talking fast food joints, those are almost always legit but regular sit-down
restaurants typically give short schrift, they give with one hand and take
away with the other... discount coupons almost always include some slight of
hand factor. When dining out especially, always keep in mind that there is
no free lunch, one way or another the establishment will have concockted a
method to make up the discounted amount and more.

brooklyn1 > wrote in message
...
[snip]
> Typically there's a proviso that the discount coupon must
> be presented before/at ordering (not when paying).

Easily done, and for those few times I've miss that opportunity, it's not
been an issue when the check was delivered. Customer service has always been
solid on this point, regardless of whether I use a coupon or the
Entertainment Book's card.

> Sometimes the discount coupons are legit but most often
> they're a come-on, just to entice folks through the door,

Of course they're a come-on to get people through the door! What type of
mook would think otherwise?

> whereas the food is prepared with slightly inferior
> ingredients, ie smaller shrimp and/or fewer, or a
> smaller lesser quality steak, or certain sides are
> x-tra cost items, etc... [snip remaining idiocy]

Well, my question was answered... You're the type of mook that thinks
otherwise.

No restaurant on this planet will sub ingredients or reduce the portions or
use inferior quality products simply because a customer uses a coupon.

Stick to something, anything, you simply cut-and-paste. It's safer.

The Ranger

"The Ranger" > wrote in message
...
> Do you use coupons and discount cards when going out to dine?
>



We use coupons all the time. We like to save money. We get the
Entertainment Book, and it pays for itself with just the grocery coupons. I
have found that if we join the web list for a restaurant, then most will
send some coupons. This is true of chains and some independents in our
area. We used a email coupon at Ted's Montana on Sunday, and the manager
returned the coupon to us to use again before it expired. We also get the
coupon packet in the mail. Most are not something we want, but some are
pretty good. We had a very nice Mexican meal in a new, small restaurant on
Saturday with a coupon. The coupons have not been as good lately, as the
economy has the restaurants stretched to make a profit, but we still use the
one's that we like.

Later,

DP

On Jul 16, 10:37*am, "Dale P" > wrote:
> "The Ranger" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
> > Do you use coupons and discount cards when going out to dine?
>
> We use coupons all the time. *We like to save money. *We get the
> Entertainment Book, and it pays for itself with just the grocery coupons.

What city are you in?
>
> Later,
>
> DP

--Bryan

"Stan Horwitz" > wrote in message
]...
> In article >,
>> I rarely use restaurant coupons because they are almost always a 2-for-1
> deal such as order one spaghetti dinner and get another one for free.
> When I dine out alone, those coupons are useless because I am not going
> to eat two dinners in one sitting and I am not good at using left overs.
> Even when I am dining with other people, it seems like its only the rare
> occasion where we can agree to go to a place where one of us might have
> a coupon and we agree on the terms of the coupon.
>
> If the coupon is like the one I have in my wallet now, where its good
> for a discounted price off a new kind of hamburger at Applebees (not buy
> one get one free), I might use it.

I agree that the two for one coupon does not work for a single diner. Some
of ours have offered an amount off of one dinner. Have to read the fine
print, but most do not have a single offer. Carl's Jr. has had some pretty
awesome coupons lately, and we now have one near us (aren't we LUCKY!!).
You have opened up a discussion on Applebee's, and I must say that
Applebee's in the evening is terrible. I do like one of the salad lunches
they have, it has chicken and oriental noodles. It is very good, if they
still offer it.

Later,

DP

On Jul 16, 10:49*am, "Dale P" > wrote:
> "Stan Horwitz" > wrote in message
>
> ]...
>
> > In article >,
> >> I rarely use restaurant coupons because they are almost always a 2-for-1
> > deal such as order one spaghetti dinner and get another one for free.
> > When I dine out alone, those coupons are useless because I am not going
> > to eat two dinners in one sitting and I am not good at using left overs..
> > Even when I am dining with other people, it seems like its only the rare
> > occasion where we can agree to go to a place where one of us might have
> > a coupon and we agree on the terms of the coupon.
>
> > If the coupon is like the one I have in my wallet now, where its good
> > for a discounted price off a new kind of hamburger at Applebees (not buy
> > one get one free), I might use it.
>
> I agree that the two for one coupon does not work for a single diner. *Some
> of ours have offered an amount off of one dinner. *Have to read the fine
> print, but most do not have a single offer. *Carl's Jr. has had some pretty
> awesome coupons lately, and we now have one near us (aren't we LUCKY!!).
> You have opened up a discussion on Applebee's, and I must say that
> Applebee's in the evening is terrible. *I do like one of the salad lunches
> they have, it has chicken and oriental noodles. *It is very good, if they
> still offer it.

A decade or more ago, a lot of the Entertainment coupons had the 50%
off when dining alone option. Now, I don't know of any that do except
one deli that has a 50% off all food with a $5 limit.
>
> Later,
>
> DP

--Bryan

"Bryan" > wrote in message
...
On Jul 16, 10:37 am, "Dale P" > wrote:
> "The Ranger" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
> > Do you use coupons and discount cards when going out to dine?
>
> We use coupons all the time. We like to save money. We get the
> Entertainment Book, and it pays for itself with just the grocery coupons.

What city are you in?
>
> Later,
>
> DP

--Bryan

We are in Denver. We live in the city, and have a good number of
independent restaurants nearby. The suburbs and downtown are pretty heavy
with chain store places. We refer to Highland's Ranch, a large suburb south
of Denver as the land of plenty. Plenty of people, plenty of shopping, and
plenty of traffic. Try not to go there if at all possible.

Ted's is a chain that franchises (at least here), so each store has a
manager/owner. The food is good and made in house, the service is great,
and the place really works at being green (very little plastic used there).
It is a place we enjoy.

Later,

DP

Janet Wilder wrote:
> We don't go to Matamoros. Too scary right now.
>
> We usually go to the little tourist town of Nuevo Progreso. It's not
> very busy in the summer, though it has its share of tourists from SPI.
> In the winter it's crowded with Winter Texans buying pharmaceuticals
> and partying. My dentist is there and I go to buy tequila and Controy
> for margaritas. Going next Tuesday and muling some drugs for a friend
> in California.
>
> Those "genuine, immitation Rolex watches" used to be cheapest in Los
> Algadones, AZ where I believe the factory is.
>

A few of my friends go to dentists in Nuevo Progresso. I had sinus
surgery in Matamoros 2 yrs ago, that is when I tried to find The Drive
Inn. I was thinking about seeing the ENT in Matamoros again. Sorry they
are having problems there, I have been going there since I was a kid.


Becca

On Jul 15, 9:47*am, Andy > wrote:
> Bobo Bonobo® said...
>
> > Use restaurant.com?
>
> I just gave it a try and found the search severely lame!
>
> I searched for restaurants in my town and out of probably 100 restaurants,
> it only found four within a 30 mile radius!?! 30 miles should've pulled in
> all of Philadelphia, state of Delaware and part of south New Jersey.
>
> When I searched:
>
> "within 15 miles" of Philadelphia
> Result: 255 restaurants.
>
> "within 30 miles" of Philadelphia
> Result: 93 restaurants?
>
> WTF??? Increasing the radius should increase the results not lower them.

Interesting results.

The Ranger said...

> On Jul 15, 9:47*am, Andy > wrote:
>> Bobo Bonobo® said...
>>
>> > Use restaurant.com?
>>
>> I just gave it a try and found the search severely lame!
>>
>> I searched for restaurants in my town and out of probably 100
restaurants
> ,
>> it only found four within a 30 mile radius!?! 30 miles should've pulled
i
> n
>> all of Philadelphia, state of Delaware and part of south New Jersey.
>>
>> When I searched:
>>
>> "within 15 miles" of Philadelphia
>> Result: 255 restaurants.
>>
>> "within 30 miles" of Philadelphia
>> Result: 93 restaurants?
>>
>> WTF??? Increasing the radius should increase the results not lower them.
>
> Interesting results.


You can say that again!

Also, when I searched on adjacent towns to mine, it would pull in a couple
of theirs (again limited) but wouldn't extend into other towns.

A ridiculously flawed search algorithm! The likes of which I ain't never
seen! The BUMS!!!

Andy

On Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:53:00 -0700 (PDT), The Ranger
> fired up random neurons and synapses to opine:

<snip>

> But I am apparently alone in that feeling because the
>place is doing very nicely in this recession. Go figure.

One of our favorite SoCal restaurants, Nieuport 17 in Tustin, closes
on Mondays where they never did before. Betty, our favorite waitress,
said their business is down enough that they had to pick a day to
close and it was Monday that got the ax. Yet that disgusting Don
Jose's in the next block is doing gang busters with Mexican food that
is only slightly better than El Torito's. Go figure.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd

--

"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "meatloaf" with "cox"