Eggs-It, Stage Left

I worked at an owner-managed diner/restaurant that, by all accounts, provided a fantastic deal. Not a single entree cost more than $12, and the portions were massive. Yet daily, some snide customer would ask:

Customer: “And why is an egg salad sandwich $7 when I could make it at home for free?!”

The owner, being the kind of guy who didn’t need to bow down to these kinds of customers, would allow us to tone match our answers:

Me: “Well, the owner of the place doesn’t keep the lights on and give me a paycheck out of a magical self-replenishing bank account.”

Customer: “Well, there better be something special about the eggs or something for that price!”

Me: “There’s nothing special about the egg salad sandwich aside from the fact that someone else constructed it from start to finish, then served it to you while you sat there doing nothing. If you want it to be free, go home.”

I don’t know if he went home, but he didn’t stay here!