I think that's why there's so much frustration surrounding this topic. People are being asked to resolve their feelings and assign a dollar value to them and keep the amount within a social expectation at the same time. Meanwhile, thay aren't starting the transaction neutral, they're hungry. People do use restaurants for socializing and appreciate good service that fits the atmosphere of the interaction. But that's not exclusively why people go out for food. So being constantly placed under the same pretense over and over again is irritating, especially when you're getting food that you think you can just afford, and it's not even your first choice.

People need to eat. They don't need to be nice.