Higher wages. Cheaper food. Everything done by humans. Pick two.
In this YouTube monologue, Donald Burns argues that restaurant owners face an impossible triangle of consumer expectations: higher wages for staff, lower menu prices, and a demand that every task be performed by a human. He explains that these three goals cannot coexist because the costs must be covered somewhere. Burns outlines the economic trade‑offs: if wages rise, either prices must increase or productivity must improve; if prices stay low, costs must be cut, often via automation; and if every task remains manual, labor requirements rise, squeezing margins. He urges owners to make pragmatic choices—price menu items appropriately, pay good staff competitively, and adopt technology where it boosts efficiency without harming hospitality—rather than trying to please everyone. The piece ends with a call to share the message and tag restaurant owners who need permission to stop trying to satisfy contradictory demands.
