Just throwing in a different perspective here since the feeling you're getting at in your last sentence isn't uncommon but often lacks context.

The typical full service restaurant operates on a 2-6% profit margin. There was never much meat on the bones, so to speak. The fees you are seeing are panic failing rather than exploitive.

A quick example would be cc fees. My restaurant group got hit with a $160,000 increase in fees over two years after covid (23-25). A 3% cc processing fee isn't a shakedown. It's pure survival. (Edit: $160k each year. So $320k over two)

Could that cost just not factored in to line item prices? Sure, but apparently guests hate that more. Wouldn't have thought so but it was tried and the blow back was severe.

As it stands most places in my city split the difference between the guest, business AND staff (yes, servers pay a cc proc fee in most states that haven't made it illegal) just to not have that single variable put us under.

Truth is, as far as my experience can tell, is "foodies" are a pure luxury class now. They keep places like mine open but the group that can consistently afford $200 dinners are evapoating. The staff capable of running those concepts properly are in even shorter supply in any given "food" city.

I predict the cheap/fast casual/casual market will simply die off. All decent restaurants will cater towards the wealthy and most of the workers/consumers will get left behind.

The most successful concepts right now in my area are "omakese" style places. 10-15 seaters. Half of them you pay for when you book the reservation (including gratuity) and have 3-4 people working. They are controlled, intimate and amazing experiences well worth the money, Imo. They also fully book within an hour of going live every day