Americans are still getting crushed by the inflation Biden left behind.
Families can't afford to celebrate the way they used to.
And Olive Garden made one announcement about New Year's Eve that will have Americans racing to the restaurant.
Families ditch fancy prix fixe menus for familiar favorites
New Year's Eve used to mean one thing for most families — a night out at your favorite restaurant before the countdown to midnight.
Not anymore.
Fancy restaurants across the country are charging $150 to $500 per person for "special" New Year's Eve prix fixe menus.¹
One Houston restaurant is gouging customers for $2,026 per couple.²
That's not a celebration — that's highway robbery.
But while elite restaurants price out regular Americans, chain restaurants like Olive Garden, Applebee's, and Chick-fil-A are keeping their doors open with normal menus and regular prices.³
No mandatory tasting menus.
No forced champagne toasts at midnight.
Just the food Americans actually want to eat.
Trump inherited an inflation nightmare that's still crushing families
Restaurant prices surged 12% in 2025, continuing the damage Biden's policies inflicted on family budgets.⁴
President Trump has been working to fix the mess he inherited, but four years of reckless spending takes time to undo.
A typical fast-food combo meal that cost $9.95 in 2021 now runs $14.59.⁵
Full-service restaurants are even worse, with average checks exceeding $45 per person in major cities.⁶
The gap between cooking at home and eating out has exploded to five times the historical average.⁷
Biden's spending spree created that mess — and working families are still paying for it.
Families earning under $50,000 have cut restaurant visits by 40% since 2019.⁸
Sixty percent of households reduced dining out in 2025 because they simply can't afford it anymore.⁹
Trump is fighting every day to bring prices down, but Democrats left the economy in shambles.
Chain restaurants win by keeping it simple
While fancy restaurants chase wealthy customers with overpriced New Year's Eve "experiences," chains are winning by doing what they've always done — serving affordable food without the gimmicks.
Olive Garden will be open with regular or slightly reduced hours on New Year's Eve, and normal business hours on New Year's Day.¹⁰
Same menu Americans know and love.
Same prices that won't require a second mortgage.
Applebee's, Chick-fil-A, McDonald's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, Buffalo Wild Wings, and dozens of other chains are following the same playbook.¹¹
They're not forcing customers into mandatory $175 tasting menus with "artisanal" dishes nobody asked for.
They're just staying open and serving the food people actually want.
Some Buffalo Wild Wings locations are even extending their hours past 1:00 a.m. to let guests celebrate the countdown in a lively atmosphere.¹²
No price gouging.
No forced upsells.
Just wings, beer, and football on TV while the ball drops in Times Square.
That's what Americans want — not some pretentious chef telling them which fork to use for their $85 scallop course.
The restaurant industry is splitting into two Americas.
Luxury dining is booming for the wealthy elite, with Michelin-starred restaurants in New York and Los Angeles booked months in advance at $350 to $500 per person for tasting menus.¹³
Meanwhile, casual dining chains that built their business serving the middle class are fighting to survive as their core customers get priced out.
Biden created an economy where eating out became a luxury instead of a normal family activity.
Trump is working to fix it, but the damage runs deep.
Chain restaurants staying open on New Year's Eve with regular menus and prices aren't doing anything revolutionary — they're just refusing to gouge customers during a holiday.
But after four years of Biden's war on the middle class, that apparently counts as exceptional customer service.
¹ Desiree Anello, "Restaurants Open on New Year's Eve 2025: Everything to Know," People, December 29, 2025.
² "These Houston restaurants are open on New Year's Eve 2025," CultureMap Houston, December 23, 2025.
³ Ibid.
⁴ "U.S. Restaurant Prices Up 12% in 2025: Is Dining Out Becoming a Luxury?" The Hungry Times, September 10, 2025.
⁵ Ibid.
⁶ Ibid.
⁷ "The Real Impact of Inflation on Restaurant Prices in 2025," Push Operations, March 28, 2025.
⁸ "U.S. Restaurant Prices Up 12% in 2025: Is Dining Out Becoming a Luxury?" The Hungry Times, September 10, 2025.
⁹ "The Real Impact of Inflation on Restaurant Prices in 2025," Push Operations, March 28, 2025.
¹⁰ Desiree Anello, "Restaurants Open on New Year's Eve 2025: Everything to Know," People, December 29, 2025.
¹¹ Ibid.
¹² Ibid.
¹³ "U.S. Restaurant Prices Up 12% in 2025: Is Dining Out Becoming a Luxury?" The Hungry Times, September 10, 2025.