Einstein Bagels

I had an early morning appointment yesterday in the urban hipster (hippie's) part of Tulsa.  Because it is an area of Tulsa that would not thrive with a QT or a McDonald's; there was no place for me to have my traditional breakfast.  So, I decided to try Einstein Bagels.

What a name.  What a ripoff.

After getting over the shock of the prices on the drive-thru menu board, I turned the corner into no-man's-land.  That part of a drive-thru where you can't exit even if you want to. Car(s) in front of you, or curbs or retaining walls on the right of you, with cars behind you.  Had there not been this huge tall curb to my right, I would have taken my BAT, and driven through the flowerbed and over a small tree.  I hate drive-thru lanes like this.  I was stuck in it for 11 minutes (yes, their service is super slow too).

The scenery in front of me was more frustrating by the minute, as I was forced to observe two maggot infested occupants of a Ford Fetus incessantly 'vaping', and doing what hippie's do, throwing trash out of their car onto the drive-thru lane.  A selfish act, common with those types.  Plus, to double-down on my frustration were the 21 bumper stickers on their car supporting every cause that they believed in, and thought that I should know about it.  The one that I always get the biggest kick out of is: 

It is impossible to Coexist with these types of people.  Unless your 'choice' is the same as their 'choice', for whatever it is that you're talking about; there is no such thing as Coexist.  A sticker, and a label that is the ultimate dichotomy against the owner's true intention.  100% hypocrisy.

But, that is another rabbit to chase, and I'm talking about a bagel.

$4.99 for this bagel.  Cost to Einstein = .50c (this is the cost of the bagel, the 1/2 egg, the 1/2 slice of bacon, and the 1/4 slice of cheese).  That is a normal retail cost, which they paid less for from a retailer, but let's just go with retail price of .50c.  That is a 10% food cost.  Having previously worked in the restaurant business for 16 years, I know that the typical food cost goal is 30-35%.  Less than 30%, and the value is bad, and you are ripping off the customer.  Additionally, after expenses for paper and labor, if you could get to 25% total pre-gross before the 15% operating expenses were subtracted, to net 10%, you were doing excellent.

Add in a non-refillable glass of tea for $1.99, which has a food cost of .02c, and Einstein had just liberated $7 from me, and spent .52c themselves to accomplish the feat.  What a rip off.  That my friends equals a total food cost of 7.4%.  Absolutely astonishing.  Toss in 3% paper cost, and they are at 10%, then add in 20% labor cost, and the total is 30%, with a pre-gross profit of 70%, less 15% operating expenses, equals a whopping 55% total net profit.  Being redundant; absolutely astonishing. 

And the bagel wasn't even that good. To add insult, for an additional .40c, they were willing to upgrade the bagel and add .02c more of seasonings to help the bagel taste better. 

Do they call themselves Einstein because they are a genius in figuring out how to dupe customers?

It doesn't take my genius very much to understand that I was just ripped off; big time.  And furthermore, it doesn't take my genius very much to know that I.Will.Never.Be.Back.

If you have never gone, go ahead, be a genius too; avoid it!