This sort of thing has been happening for a while and is an example of hidden inflation in the economy that doesn't get measure.

Chain restaurants are all in trouble or going to be unless they start riding the nutritional wave hitting the American shores. Americans are shunning those 1,000-calorie appetizers and heart-attack-inducing hamburgers. Profits will continue to fall; but for the restaurants that buy local, and sell appropriately portioned and appropriately priced food profits await.

People are shelling out an extra $200 or more a month for gasoline. That is eating up (no pun intended) their 'fun' money. No more going out to dinner when the Chevron bill is taking such a bite out of the budget.

I've noticed the portions become smaller and smaller. One obvious thing: the plates the original larger portions were being served on are still being used. They can't hide the fact of smaller portions unless they tell us the plates are larger.
The first time some waitress told me that, I'd leave the restaurant and let the manager know he's lost another customer -- for life.

I used to eat out everyday for lunch at my job, mostly ruby tuesdays or the dennys down the street what ever was closer to my job, then I thought Im paying nearly 100-150 a month in a restaurant, face it 7-10 dollars a meal a day, so I started packing my lunched and found that I could spend 40 dollars every 2 weeks and have a meal all week. and I have lost the extra wieght that I gained from eating out. with gas going up, and the price of just living in your house going up, who has the extra cash to enjoy eating out, sometimes I would hyperventilate if someone even suggested eating out, now I can do it without worrying so much. About the portion sizes, come on people we dont need a 16-20 ounce steak in one meal, thats plain glutteny, and we complain that we are the fattest nation on earth, or are we proud of it, I cant tell which anymore

thats why u ignorant democrats raising the minimum wage, now everything you buy will be doubled cause of there stupidity of raising the wage, typical democrats for ya

responce to josh do you work for minium wage? do you have a family? smaller portions for more money has been a hidden trend for quite sometime now.not forgetting all the additives that are put in the food, to bulk it up to make the portions look as big as they are.tgif comerical is a joke it's telling right up front your getting less food and paying the same, and the public is falling for it.shame on us, if you have that much money to waste why not donate it there's millions of hungry people in the USA that would really appreciate it