Why Suze Orman is Wrong on Restaurants

Act locally..

Always try to support local businesses or we will be sending our kids to Walmart pre-school before we realize it.

Hector Mosqueda of IL @ Mar 06, 2009 12:00:19 PM

suze orman

Suze Ormans comments are meant for people who are in big time trouble with finances. Her intent is to make people think about how to cut back...you can save $200.00 a year by not buying tea in a restaurant. That is the kind of point she is making.

I will tell you this...Wall Street stock brokers don't like Suze Orman...what does that tell you?

William of FL @ Feb 19, 2009 07:18:05 AM

Looking at both sides of the coin...

As a restaurant employee, I can fairly say that there are indeed two sides to this. I watched this interview in horror and awe as Ms. Orman and Oprah conceded on how to cut back spending. Which in many ways I do agree with. The economy sucks and it is affecting EVERYONE> That's the bottom line. But to hear them rant about when you DO go out , Don't forget to tip 5%! Whoa. Let me fill you in on what a 5% tip does to an employee who is in most states making at least less than minimum wage. Not much. In some cases, this would actually cost that server to wait on YOU. Your service staff rely's on tips, not just for themselves, but for the busboy, bartender, food runners, and even the host and Maitre D staff that the SERVER is tipping out for their services as well. So when you stiff your server like crap because the kitchen screwed up your steak, is it really fair to leave a crappy tip that can cost them money? Think again. Some people think that those handy tip calculators on your phone or checkbook are useful. They are simply a mathematical device. Decent service should be valued at about a starting 15-20% tip. This is a pretty standard guide for tipping and if you don't agree, well then take yourself back about 50 years and stay there! Simple solution, If you can go out and enjoy your version of dining, whatever that may be, by all means do it! If you can't afford to go out and spend and tip accordingly, then simply don't.

Now I can say that I am lucky to be employed at one of Denver's better restaurant's and that our business is actually thriving. Good amounts of regulars, inexpensive meal and liquor prices keep people coming back. We are in the historic LODO district and this definitely helps. I can say that I do know there are many people taking huge losses. I've seen so many restaurants go under because they are not breaking even. And for all the judgments passed about ALL restaurants serving ridiculous portions and being over-priced, try going to a non-corporate restaurant. These tend to be more moderately priced with greater focus on quality and consistency. Your ingredients are usually more seasonal and regionally available, ensuring that it's far superior than that ridiculously bland salad year-round at the Cheesecake Factory that gives you a novel of un-changing items of iceberg lettuce.

If you want to support your local economy there are SO many ways to do it. Go to smaller markets ensuring local jobs. This goes for restaurants, gas stations, services like dry cleaning or even hair salons. Grow a garden and teach your kids the lost fundamentals of getting your hands dirty with appreciation for hard work. Generate a positive "Buzz" just by being involved in your community. It takes so little time to give back and the benefits are seen all around. That's just common sense and shouldn't have to be found in ANYONE"S overpriced book of hipocrasies. And by the way, Oprah is a less than 5% tipper. I know....

Alexise of CO @ Feb 18, 2009 00:11:03 AM

A better idea for saving money

My mom-n-pop restaurant is encouraging all customers to save money by not purchasing any product advertised during Suze Orman for one month. I suggest all mom-n-pop owners should do the same.

Art of IN @ Feb 17, 2009 17:03:04 PM

Not eating at restaurants

I agree Susie is out of line on this one. My husband and I really enjoy eating out on a budget. We have several favorite restaurants we eat at, we share a meal, this cuts down on the cost and we don't over eat. The restaurants are familed owned not chains. We still tip 20%, this way the wait staff isn't hit too hard. I feel it is very important to keep our local economy going. We like to spend our money helping our local pepole.

Sharon of MN @ Feb 05, 2009 13:33:05 PM

restaurants hurting

absolutely pick and choose your restaurants! Does she realize how many are small family owned businesses, and how many are closing? Now you have not just the employees out of work, many of whom won't get any worthwhile unemployment because they work for tips, but now the food distributors, cleaning people, delivery drivers, everyone loses. Isn't that the problem with the economy? People need to save, but also spend money albeit carefully.

michelle of MA @ Jan 31, 2009 12:48:53 PM

restaurants are a rip off

Restaurants should be scared. What do you think is going to happen when you charge 8 dollars for a glass of half full crap wine and 2 dollar cokes and 12 dollar pasta even though these things costs about 50 cents a meal. Maybe if you restaurants werent out to screw your very own patrons day in and day out they would frequent your establishments more.

chris of NY @ Jan 23, 2009 13:15:24 PM

Suze Orman's advice to stop eating at restaurants for a month

Suze Orman is irresponsible and uninformed. Her comments significantly impact the nation's biggest employer as an industry, in the toughest economic time the restaurant industry has seen in decades. People eat at restaurants not only for filling their nutritional needs, but as a social outlet. Further, try buying the ingredients for a pizza and making it yourself, then compare the cost with the option of ordering it from your local pizza place. Surprise, you just spent more making it yourself! This is true with many foods. Finally, I wonder if Ms. Orman recommended that each viewer discontinue their cable or satellite television service for a month and try reading instead, if Oprah would have embraced the advice similarly?....

Mike from O.C. of CA @ Jan 22, 2009 01:49:58 AM