Trump's Tariff Tax Folly Making American Food BLAND again

[Jingthing]

I'm old enough to have personally witnessed the blossoming and sophisticated globalization of the American palate.

From just salt and pepper or just salt to a world class "foodie" scene in cities nationwide.

But, no.

That was too good.

 

How tariffs will affect Chinese restaurants and takeout - The Washington Post

www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/04/16/tariffs-chinese-food-restaurants/

 

How Trump’s tariffs could make your Chinese restaurant meals pricier

Restaurant owners worry they’ll be forced to pare down their offerings, raise their prices and hinge their futures on increasingly razor-thin profit margins.

[impulse]

So instead of Orange Man Bad, it'll be No Orange Chicken on the buffet?

 

Give it a rest.

 

[Jingthing]

4 hours ago, impulse said:

So instead of Orange Man Bad, it'll be No Orange Chicken on the buffet?

 

Give it a rest.

 

Orange chicken is an American dish.

I'm guessing you didn't participate in the blossoming of the American palate.

[EVENKEEL]

Price gouging. 

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Price gouging. 

Actually restaurants run on very narrow margins and a large percentage fail every year.

[impulse]

30 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Orange chicken is an American dish.

I'm guessing you didn't participate in the blossoming of the American palate.

 

Strangely, I had orange chicken for the first time in 25 years here in China.  On a buffet last month.  It was good.

 

[Jingthing]

7 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Strangely, I had orange chicken for the first time in 25 years here in China.  On a buffet last month.  It was good.

 

Sure you did. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_chicken

 

Orange chicken is called Chinese food in North America, but orange chicken is rarely found in Chinese restaurants in China. Andrew Cherng, owner and founder of Panda Express, said that orange chicken is just a variation of General Tso's chicken, another dish that is almost unknown in China. Journalist Jennifer 8. Lee says that both "General Tso's chicken and Orange Chicken are Americanized mutations of sweet and sour dishes found in China."[1] 

[impulse]

13 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Sure you did. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_chicken

 

Orange chicken is called Chinese food in North America, but orange chicken is rarely found in Chinese restaurants in China. Andrew Cherng, owner and founder of Panda Express, said that orange chicken is just a variation of General Tso's chicken, another dish that is almost unknown in China. Journalist Jennifer 8. Lee says that both "General Tso's chicken and Orange Chicken are Americanized mutations of sweet and sour dishes found in China."[1] 

 

Believe it, don't believe it.  I couldn't give a rat.  But the new lunch buffet at the local WuMart now has orange chicken.

 

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

Believe it, don't believe it.  I couldn't give a rat.  But the new lunch buffet at the local WuMart now has orange chicken.

 

Don't believe it.

Irrelevant either way.

That is made in the US with no or very limited imported ingredients.

[jerrymahoney]

from NYTimes via https://archive.ph/7UYDJ   

• April 10, 2025, 2:22 p.m. ET

 

For Restaurants That Rely on Imports, the Tariff News Is Scant Relief
Confusion and uncertainty hang over an industry with thin profit margins and few domestic sources for foreign ingredients.

 

 

 

[Jingthing]

3 hours ago, jerrymahoney said:

from NYTimes via https://archive.ph/7UYDJ   

• April 10, 2025, 2:22 p.m. ET

 

For Restaurants That Rely on Imports, the Tariff News Is Scant Relief
Confusion and uncertainty hang over an industry with thin profit margins and few domestic sources for foreign ingredients.

 

 

 

Foreign tourists are already cancelling their trips to the US in droves. This is another reason for them to continue to do so. A world class international food scene diminished by a total moron in the white house. 

[blaze master]

American food has always been bland.

[EVENKEEL]

18 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Actually restaurants run on very narrow margins and a large percentage fail every year.

I seriously doubt tariffs will be the reason for restaurant closures. I was in Ca for a visit. Took friends out to a Thai restaurant. Shrimp fried rice off the lunch menu was $18.00   That hardly qualifies as a narrow profit margin.

 

We usually picked either Japanese or Pho joints for meals. Yes, pricey but better than a $17,00 meal deal at a burger joint.

 

 

[Jingthing]

4 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

I seriously doubt tariffs will be the reason for restaurant closures. I was in Ca for a visit. Took friends out to a Thai restaurant. Shrimp fried rice off the lunch menu was $18.00   That hardly qualifies as a narrow profit margin.

 

We usually picked either Japanese or Pho joints for meals. Yes, pricey but better than a $17,00 meal deal at a burger joint.

 

 

Yes the current prices before tariffs are already outrageous. I have no idea what your point is with this. Saying 18 dollars is completely meaningless unless you know the cost details for that particular business. Also the issue with imported spice tariffs is not only business viability, but quality level offered to the customers. Some dishes totally cut, others made more bland.

 

[placeholder]

What this really amounts to is an  attack on Christmas. At least for many American Jews who have made it a tradition to eat Chinese food on Christmas Day.

Thanks, President Grinch!

[EVENKEEL]

9 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Yes the current prices before tariffs are already outrageous. I have no idea what your point is with this. Saying 18 dollars is completely meaningless unless you know the cost details for that particular business. Also the issue with imported spice tariffs is not only business viability, but quality level offered to the customers. Some dishes totally cut, others made more bland.

 

This place was in Stockton, not SF or SJ. I picked that dish because it's with the cheapest ingredients besides a couple shrimp. If the tariffs do raise prices for some dishes, you watch the price on all dishes go up,,,,just because they can.

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, EVENKEEL said:

This place was in Stockton, not SF or SJ. I picked that dish because it's with the cheapest ingredients besides a couple shrimp. If the tariffs do raise prices for some dishes, you watch the price on all dishes go up,,,,just because they can.

Again, as a generality the restaurant business does run on thin margins.

I'm sure there are many exceptions of businesses that have structured themselves to have pricing power to be able to rake in obscene profits but objectively if you look into this they are not anywhere near the majority.