Who pays for the “free” bread in a restaurant?
A basket of bread can arrive without a separate charge on the bill, even though it costs the restaurant money to provide. The difference between an item's price and the cost of a meal raises questions about hospitality, bundled pricing, and what customers expect.
Questions you could explore
- How could a restaurant account for bread across the prices of a meal?
- What would a menu tell you, and what would require information from the business?
Start reading
- BCcampusThe Basic Calculation of Operating Costs
A culinary textbook explains food, labor, and overhead costs in relation to total restaurant sales.
- Freakonomics RadioThere’s No Such Thing as a Free Appetizer
Near the end of this 2014 transcript, restaurateur Nancy Silverton discusses including bread in operating costs.
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