Posted on 04/27/2009 7:12:11 PM PDT by rawhide
Recession-hit restaurants are helping themselves to your wallet by serving you an extra side of super sneaky charges.
The Post last week found city eateries subtly billing customers for things usually free -- including bread and butter.
Although managers claim the prices are clearly marked on menus, the outrageous charges can backfire on restaurants, experts said.
Unexpected costs found by The Post include:
* A $1-per-person charge for water at West Village restaurant Bobo -- noted on the menu but not mentioned by waiters. The drink is filtered tap water.
Staff said the money funds the filtration.
"If anyone doesn't want to pay it, we take it off the bill," said manager Andy Vaughan.
* $3 for bread and another $2 for butter at Company, in Chelsea.
No cost was mentioned when bread was requested and delivered to a Post reporter last week -- and a waiter refused to give a refund.
"Bread and butter are not hidden charges," restaurant spokeswoman Danielle Pagano said. "They are both affordable menu items."
* A 10 percent charge for takeout food at the sushi hot spot Nobu Next Door in TriBeCa.
"It's for the packaging materials, the costs of handling the volume of calls," said managing partner Richie Notar.
* A 20 percent mandatory tip on all checks at the Little Italy tourist spot Grotta Azzurra.
Owner Frank Castellana said the addition was to ensure decent pay for his staff.
Last week, The Post reported that Fifth Avenue steak joint Morton's was charging $2.50 extra for a cocktail ordered with ice.
"There are some scandalous charges," said Josh Ozersky, restaurant editor of the Internet lifestyle guide Citysearch.
"When this happens, it builds up ill will and bitterness, which is counterproductive and stupid."
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
This one confuses me? Adding ice to a drink reduces the amount of alcohol needed, saving the restaurant money.
if you can’t afford it,
don’t eat there.
And passing the cost of the ice onto the customer saves even more money. Ice costs money, too - especially if it’s the designer ice.
“Two dollars? But everyone in front of me got free bread.”
“You want bread?”
“Yes, please.”
“Three dollars!”
“What?”
“No soup for you!”
If they tried that in Dallas/Fort Worth they’d be out of business in a New York minute!
No cost is mentioned when I order a coke either. That does not mean that it is free.
Rule of the thumb, if you have to ask for it, they are going to charge you for it.
It’s not that you can’t afford to eat there, you just need to read the asterisks on the menu.
Obviously you've never been there. These aren't just little cubes some minimum-wage worker throws in your 7-and-7:
“Rule of the thumb, if you have to ask for it, they are going to charge you for it. “
A better rule of thumb is not to eat at restaurants that charge like this.
I’d tell every one of these restaurants to SUCK IT! They are just hoping that people dont notice long enough to make some money, but in the end the ill will is going to cost them a lot more. I hope they ALL go out of business! Especially the one that is charging 20% “tip” ....Screw them.....
Personally I sometimes like to go out to a fancy restaurant. And you get charged for it either way, the price of the bread is either included in the price of your meal or as a separate change but it is never "free".
Does this mean I should ask if they are charging a rental fee on their silverware??? Come on, get real. If they really want to charge for something that has always been free, then they need to post it clearly. I can tell you that if they did this to me, I'd probably pay it, but they'd never see me cast a shadow in their restaurant again, EVER! And I'd make sure to tell others. This mandated tip stuff just pisses me off more than anything.
I’m surprised that the city isn’t taxing them yet.
Just came from a place with $29.50 buffet...check had $6.54 (close by pennies) added as a service charge. That is more than 20%. They must have included the tax before the tip was figured.
30 people and most thought it was a hotel charge and added their tip again!
I flat out asked the waiter...he leaned in and whispered. “Yes, the tip is already added to credit card checks when the card is returned for signature”. Nice way to get a double tip and no real service for a buffet meal. He had over 50 diners in his section...OK night’s work!
Once again nothing is "Free". It may be included in the price of the meal or it may be a separate item but there is always a charge.
Personally I prefer a line charge since I tend not to eat the rolls in the first place. It means a smaller bill for me when I don't have to pay for your rolls.
Quite a few restaurants will add the tip onto the bill, usually for a large party but not exclusively. Sometimes with a large number of items and illegible handwriting this is not so obvious, so a 15% tip can become 32%.
Make it uniform with or without ice the cost for a drink is the same.
I eat at Mortons, The Palms, Lowery's, Four Seasons, Le Cirque, Patina, Ariel, Tao, etc. Trust me, I want to be there and couldn't care less about the price of drink.
Good for you....
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