Maybe I am becoming a grumpy old man

I visited a coffee outlet, no prices were displayed.
I asked where are your prices? Response was, "What would you like"?
"I would like to see a price list"
"I can tell you what the price is if you tell me what you want"
"Why do you not have a price list displayed? Then we would not be having this conversation. Do you actually have a price list?"
She started to show signs of distress and started hurrying around the place looking for a price list.
"I do not understand why businesses have taken to not having prices displayed"
She eventually finds one under the counter and places it in front of me.
"This store used to have prices displayed on a board on the wall. That has been removed. I do not understand this business model."
Anyway, I ordered and paid, she went over to the "Barista"? they exchanged a few words whilst eyeballing this grumpy old man. 😄

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Spoiledbrat · F

No, I would be annoyed to. That's dishonest. I wouldn't like that.

Gusman · 61-69, M

@Spoiledbrat There was one cafe I visited which sold food and coffee.
The only price displayed was - Coffee from $4.20.
I spoke with the server and he told me he is a franchisee to the company and it was the companies policy to not display prices.
We spoke at length and one of my observations was that there was very little through traffic. People were looking, maybe because there were no prices displayed they moved on.
He said that one time he put up some makeshift prices but the owner came around one day and told him to remove them.
I went back there near closing time and saw how much produce was left over and I asked him what happens to all that food.
He said we take some home and the rest is thrown in the bin at a loss to our bottom line.

I wrote to the head office and relayed my observations. The reply was, Thank you for your feedback, we will pass it on the our Display Committee.
After a couple of months there were still no prices displayed so I wrote them again. No response this time.
That was over two years ago and there are still no prices displayed.
I sometimes have a coffee there because I know the price.
In talking to other customers, many of them tell me they will not order food because there are no prices displayed.
What a ridiculous business model. A model that is stopping the franchisee from reaching their full potential.

Spoiledbrat · F

I think it's manipulative. @Gusman