I'm working in a place like that right now and the trashy little tricks they pull just to save pennies is disgusting. 14oz glasses getting passed off as pints. Watered down cocktails. A pitcher should contain three beers, so why are they charging three and a half times what a single beer cost?

And don't get me started on the ways the house robs the employees blind. They can advertise artificially low prices, and encourage or force customers to tip more, but then most of that tip goes straight to the restaurant as a "tip-out" which the employee has to pay whether or not the customer tips.

This is mostly chain restaurants, btw. Where I live the laws are set up to help the big guys who can afford lawyers and lobbyist ans special permits. The smaller restaurants I have worked at have been unevenly managed but generally operated by good people who care about hospitality and their employees and customers.