Restaurant pricing - English vs Spanish

[mediumone]

This thread is a really easy way for me to figure out whom I'd like to meet one day and whom I'd like to avoid like the plague.

If you really don't have a grasp of the fact that your are, most likely, an incredibly privileged and rich individual if you can afford to make your hobby scuba diving in Mexico; and, by extension you cannot also understand that local business owners are just trying to make ends meet; and, finally, if you can't wrap your head around why accepting dollars is a service and why locals might get a different price: I just don't even understand where to begin.

Add to the mix, those who are so put out and offended by the "constant harassment" by the hawkers.

 

[mmmbelows]

The vast majority are very far from rich. Most are just small family businesses trying to make a living...not trying to screw you.

I didn't say they were rich, I asked if they are poor? Discussing restaurants business practices is referring to the owners of the restaurants not the general population of San Miguel.

If the restaurant owners are all poor than fine, carry on with all the schemes to screw the tourists we deserve it, just a bunch of rich american jerks anyways

But for the most part with the exception of the little taco stand guys and the start ups the decent sized restaurant owners who have established themselves as part of the community, care about their customers, provide a great product, have a good reputation, while they might not be rich would you say these owners are poor? Referring to the restaurant owners around the tourist areas, the square and such,where they hawk the hell out of passers by, play all the rip-off games of miss-calculating check totals, pad drinks to the bill, play the currency exchange game and all the rest or those things, if they are poor I'm going to be really surprised at that, I'd think with all their tricks they are doing way better than the honest establishments.

It's really okay to talk about the bad as well as the good in Cozumel, it doesn't harm the place, it's not a secret as much as some want it to be, plenty know about it, it's just a discussion, this stuff does go on, to paint anyone who discusses it openly as being a bad person, denying hard working honest Cozumelians from making a decent living is ridiculous. No one yet has done anything like that, just seems to be a core group of locals and cheer leaders who don't want any discussion of anything that could be a negative discussed at all.

Much better just to admit there are those in any community who are unethical and/or criminal, it goes on, let people know about it and they can make decisions on who to patronize or not, plus it gives you the chance to honor, talk about and send business toward the good honest hardworking businesses that you frequent in Cozumel who separate themselves from what these other do, those businesses deserve it, it's much harder to make the money honestly through hard work and good food and service than the way these others rip people off and make their money moving decimal points, the honest businesses deserve for the bad ones to be talked about, I would guess they don't want to be lumped in with them.

 

[cvchief]

I think we are saying the same thing but do not agree you are paying the same rate in either currency.

Their rates are always set in US$, not pesos. Just seems to me they are in Mexico, pay operating cost in pesos, but charge a set fee in US$. Got to think they originally set their budgets and operating costs at a set conversion initially (lets say 10:1) but when the conversion changes to 18:1 they are making much more money (in Mexico) keeping their prices in US$.

Wonder if we would see a US$ price change if the exchange rate changed to 5:1?

Just saying

A lot of stuff is tied to the US, including many owners. For instance, motors, probably the largest capital expense are most always bought in the US and imported. 18 to 1 just raises the peso cost of those motors.

 

[cvchief]

The vast majority are very far from rich. Most are just small family businesses trying to make a living...not trying to screw you.

Yea I think the rich people are the ones that own the buildings the restaurants are in. Restaurants come and go, but those rent checks keep rolling in!

 

[jd950]

I just want to say I am sorry for starting what became a fairly contentious thread. I was just looking for some information that I thought my be useful to me in the future (and which apparently is not available to me) and did not mean to get people fired up over the topic.

 

[AdivingBel]

Yeah, seems like SB is a bit more contentious lately. Must be an election year. Used to a Coz restaurant thread turned into photographic food porn which I love. Oh the good old days...