//I was charged the same price for a gin and tonic as a whole bottle of gin would have cost in an off-licence. // //So Newcastle Airport reduce their prices during normal off-licence hours do they - I think not.//
People who say things like that don’t understand business. The extra you pay for drinks/food in a bar or restaurant is not all profit. Included are the wages of the people serving you, their uniforms if applicable, the wages of the cleaners and the equipment they need to do the job, the wages of the people who wash your used glasses and plates, or the cost of the purchase and maintenance of the machine that does that, and the hot water and essential cleaning products needed, the cost of the glasses/cutlery/tableware, the cost of the cash registers and other equipment, and their maintenance, the furniture you’re using, the flooring you’re walking on, the cost of keeping the venue in a state of good repair, the electricity to heat and light the place, plus insurance, rent, rates, taxes, etc., etc. It’s not as simple as it seems. If you go to the Hilton, you can expect to pay high prices - their overheads are rather higher than those of a greasy spoon café - as is the service you receive.