It's not cheap--good quality proteins and fresh green veggies are expensive.
I read of incidents at feedlots like "Ryan's" restaurants refusing to keep serving the roast beef to customers who want more protein than starch. Their profits depend on customers eating the desserts and potatoes and noodles, instead of the fish and chicken and roasts.
It's nice that places like Ruby Tuesday have wonderful offerings for locarbers--but they are significantly more expensive than the menu plates with carbs.
Perhaps there'll be more people eating at home...?
Went out with some friends yesterday to TGI Fridays. We split a spinach artichoke dip with veggies instead of chips. It was yummy. It was also two dollars more then the one with the chips. Reason? The veggies have a short shelf life, take more preparation and cost more to buy in the first place.
Same with other low carb options, potatoes last forever, you can buy them in bulk and serve them over a month if you like. Fresh broccoli? Maybe a week. Lower volume, higher price, more waste equals higher menu prices.
We eat there at least once a week...it's actually less expensive than getting that variety at home.
If I remember right, though, the guy who's buffet experience made the news was on something like his 12th serving, and he had eaten enough that management was afraid there wouldn't be enough for everyone else.
Lots of Atkins followers seem to forget that the plan does not encourage you to gorge yourself.