Is Casual Dining Still Worth It?

Dining out used to be the easy middle ground — not cheap, not fancy, just dependable. But prices are up, expectations haven’t changed, and suddenly casual dining feels like a decision instead of a default. In this episode, I look at what’s happening to casual dining through the lens of value — using Cheesecake Factory as a case study — and why more people are questioning whether eating out is actually worth it anymore. This isn’t about complaining. It’s about understanding how food costs, labor, and shifting expectations have changed the way we eat — and how to spend smarter in a more expensive world. If food feels harder to navigate than it used to, you’re in the right place.