Posted on 07/04/2021 8:23:56 PM PDT by blam
This is insanity, driving local public outrage and vows to avoid these establishments: high-end restaurants in Chicago are still blaming COVID social distancing polices for a strictly enforced policy of a $100 minimum for each person to dine.
“A Chicago man was outraged when he was faced with a minimum payment to eat at a restaurant, and he thinks the rule should go away now that the city is opening back up,” a local CBS affiliate reports. But the rule isn’t going away, many restaurants say while claiming the continued requirement is toward ensuring operations are in line with COVID-related health and distancing measures.
Via Chicago Eater
One man interviewed in the report, Howard Tolsky, booked a dinner online for a well-known downtown steak restaurant and was required to pay a minimum of $300 for three total people just to ensure a table there.
“I figured, well, we’re not going to spend $300,” Tolsky said. “We might spend $250. But I don’t want to spend $300 dollars on a meal that costs $250.” He went elsewhere on that basis, telling CBS-2 that “Now is the time for them to attract customers and not detract them.”
The restaurant itself echoed the policies of a number of other Chicago dining establishments, saying in response to the report:
“Like many in our industry, we had to make some updates to our policies. The $100 per person minimum will remain in effect to provide the ability to be successful as a steakhouse designed for the full sit-down experience and support our restaurant’s operations and staff.”
The restaurants say that with the past year of severely restricted numbers on diners they were allowed to seat, last-minute cancelled reservations were especially brutal, causing them to also implement unusual requirements like non-refundable deposits on reserving a table.
Terms and conditions for a restaurant? A non refundable $100 deposit for a reservation?!! https://t.co/OlYEWWhpOl
— 1 (@BlackNoir91) July 3, 2021
And on top of all this, “Chicago restaurants said of the reservation issues and minimum wage hike, we can expect to see prices rise in the next months or weeks,” the report notes.
Americans are by and large returning to restaurants and entertainment venues in record numbers during this “post-pandemic lockdowns” summer, providing a badly needed revenue boost for an service sector that barely survived.
But in Chicago and elsewhere, a family of five for example might think twice going to “$100 minimum” establishments, considering it would be a whopping $500 minimum just to get in and eat.
Why is this an outrage? Don’t like it? Don’t eat there.
That’s what the BLM thugs pay? Outrageous.
I don’t and I won’t.
Maitre D’ : I appreciate your understanding.
Ferris: Don’t think twice. It’s understanding that makes it possible for people like us to tolerate a person like yourself.
“This is insanity, driving local public outrage and vows to avoid these establishments: strictly enforced policy of a $100 minimum for each person to dine.”
sounds like a self-correcting problem to me ...
That’s easy to fix - don’t go there.
But Jack Nicholson asking for toast in Five Easy Pieces was not in Chicago.
One man interviewed in the report, Howard Tolsky, booked a dinner online for a well-known downtown steak restaurant and was required to pay a minimum of $300 for three total people just to ensure a table there.
“I figured, well, we’re not going to spend $300,” Tolsky said. “We might spend $250. But I don’t want to spend $300 dollars on a meal that costs $250.” He went elsewhere on that basis, telling CBS-2 that “Now is the time for them to attract customers and not detract them.”
If it’s the steak restaurant I’m thinking it is....$300.00 would be spent, EASILY, for 3 people....if they’re having drinks, appetizers, dinner, sides and desserts.
We’ll see how this works out. An odd opening ‘plan’, for sure.
My observation is that since Covid restaurants and hotels are not up to past standards. Frankly, it cost more and is disappointing. This will impact them negatively in the long run but isn’t that what the deep state wants?!
Knowing a bit about high-end dining in Chicago, I’d pay that $100 minimum. Ir’a not a surcharge, it’s a minimum. A bottle of good French wine, a great dinner, a crepe suzette, and there you go. Great excuse to have the yum dessert you never have because of the calories.
Everything is either global warming’s fault or covid’s fault.
$100 per person? I eat out often. Average bill around $20 per person including the tip. I won’t be patronizing those places.
I had a ham sandwich and some salad for my dinner.
It probably cost about $1 in total.
“Why is this an outrage? Don’t like it? Don’t eat there.”
Thanks for the suggestion; stay in New Orleans - you would be an
unpleasant dining companion.
Thats $100 dollars per person, that results in that person getting nothing worthwhile for that $100.
It’s a dam racket under the guise of “health”.
Denny’s in Eugene.
For $100, I could eat a great steak dinner every night for week, at home, cooked just the way I like it and not have some racist spit on my food because I’m White.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.