Going out to eat and drink as a retiree may seem out of the question. Here’s how to do it on a budget

‘Restaurant owners appreciate regular senior customers who come in during the slowest times,’ one restaurateur said
Dining out doesn’t have to end with your last paycheck: restaurants are keen to encourage the silver dollar, often with deep discounts and deals.

“Restaurant owners appreciate regular senior customers who come in during the slowest times,” said Yu Jian Zhao, restaurateur and owner of U.S.- and Europe-based bar station design firm Kobayahsi.

“They are willing to sacrifice a little profit for predictable and steady business.”
Smaller restaurants and family-run businesses may have lesser-known offers you can find out about by asking, Zhao told The Independent in an email, and retirees can typically get the biggest discounts at breakfast and lunch.

And the benefits of dining out on senior discount go beyond your wallet, said Jeremy Clerc, CEO of senior-focused Assisted Living Magazine.

Sharing meals with friends offers important benefits for retirees’ health.

Senior discounts are few and far between at national and regional fine dining restaurants, where profit margins can be as low as 5 percent , according to business consultancy QMK Consulting.

That being said, retirees can find year-round or one-day discounts at certain restaurants.

Regional fine dining steakhouse III Forks offers complimentary entrees (up to $60) at most of its locations to veterans on Veterans Day.

Upscale nationwide fondue restaurant The Melting Pot offers veterans a second free four-course meal with the purchase of a four-course meal on Veterans Day.

AARP, an advocacy group for Americans 50 and older, offers a variety of restaurant discounts for members.

Those discounts mean 10 percent off at 23 chain restaurants , including:
AARP memberships range in price from $15 for one year to $55 for five years.

Breakfast options range from $7.29 to $9.19 and dinners start at $9.99.

The diner has 1,255 locations in the U.S., with 102 in the popular retirement state of Florida.

Retirees can choose from three traditional breakfast options - breakfast sampler, Rise ‘N Shine, and French toast - and a trio of traditional lunch and dinner choices that includes a BLT, shrimp and crispy fish.

For example, retirees can get a Friendly’s burger for $7.99, or $2 off the regular price.

Other items that receive a discounted price include:
Friendly’s discounts tend to be more generous than those of other restaurants.

Savings range from 17 to 27 percent off.

Panera’s Unlimited Sip Club membership is $14.99 a month or $119.99 annually, and offers the following free drinks and, when applicable, refills (Sip Club drinks can be ordered every two hours):
It also entitles Sip Club members to intermittent deals on food and other drinks, as well as a $0 delivery fee.

While the cost of a Winc shipment will vary depending on which wines you choose, wine clubs such as Firstleaf charge a flat fee of $99 a month for six wines and $199 a month for 12 wines.

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