[mmanfrin]

  I've always wondered why it wasn't cheaper to do take out
  than eat at a restaurant. I'm not taking up a parking 
  space, table, using facilities, or taking up as much of the 
  employees time but I still incur that overhead.

You're also not buying high-margin drinks or being swayed to buy the specials (which are often used to balance inventory).

[Falling3]

The impact of drinks really can't be overstated. As a booze-loving city, Portland restaurant's economy is especially interesting. At least half of the meals I eat out are at bars and you can get a quality meal for $8-12. But this all hinges on drinks subsidizing the rest of the meal.