miss elaine eos

Regardless of the logic or intention of it, yes, many restaurants have a
per-person minimum order. However, it's typically quite low &
reasonable, as to almost be a non-factor (i.e., it's typically less than
half the price of a reasonable meal, so you could order a burger, your
friend nothing, and still meet the minimum order.)

And, like sharing fee, it's often not really enforced.

I think that the min-per-order thing might be in areas with a large
"starving student" population -- or perhaps high homelessness -- and the
gist of it seems to be "we don't want half a dozen of you kids sitting
around all afternoon while one of your orders a soda with free refills
and you all drink off of it" kind of thing.

Darn those kids!

--
Please take off your shoes before arriving at my in-box.
I will not, no matter how "good" the deal, patronise any business which sends
unsolicited commercial e-mail or that advertises in discussion newsgroups.

anny middon

I don't understand why you're so upset about this. I don't eat out all that
often but I know that sharing charges aren't that uncommon. I've seen them
listed on menus many times.

From now on, check the menu carefully. If there is a charge for sharing, it
should be listed, typically at the bottom of the menu in the same place
where a restaurant might point out that a gratuity will be added to the bill
for parties of more than a certain number of people. If a sharing charge is
listed and it offends you that much, then leave without ordering. (After
paying for drinks or whatever that you've already received, of course.)

If the menu doesn't list a sharing charge then let the waiter know when you
order that you intend to share. If the waiter tells you then there's a
charge, politely state that under that cir***stance you'll be leaving, and
go. (Again of course after paying for anything you ordered and received.)

If you're not informed either in writing or by the waiter that there's a
charge for sharing, then I think you have a legitimate complaint that you
should bring up with the restaurant's manager. Otherwise I don't see that
you have cause for complaint.

Anny

zedbanty

In article <1145809414.745320.172510@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups .com>, NYC XYZ
says...

It only means that you haven't encountered it before. Hence your embarassment.


Well, OK.

It's all a matter of how to keep the establishment running and keeping the
customers happy. There are any number of well-established ways to deal with the
problem of a customer taking a seat but bringing little or no revenue - you
simply object to this particular one. But you're only one customer, mind, and
dollars to donuts they don't get many who are caught up short on it the way you
were.

So, would you like better -

1. Plate sharing fee (guees not!
2. Paella as a plate just for two (I'd vote for this, and, unlike your pop's
Chinese restaurant, only would work because they don't get many dining alone)
3. Minimum per diner order.


There's no 4.) cover charge because that's *not* what restaurants do, it's
simply not established the way it is for other kinds of places and then ther
*would* be customers surprised and unhappy, and the per table idea doesn't work
well because there are different sized tables.

Which of the above three do you like? One way or the other, they cover their
charges. And keep in mind you're not the only diner, nor are you evidently a
*typical* member of their customer set. Which of the above they choose to
handle the situation depends on their customer set.

So, you're not wrong for objecting that you don't like the plate-sharing fee,
but where you really are wrong and have done a poor job of defending your ideas
is in this idea that there's no loss at all.

Banty


--

alan moorman

Don't know where you live, but I've never heard of it before!

Alan
__________________________________

Our President Speaks:
"I glance at the headlines just to kind of a flavor for what's moving. I
rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who are probably read the
news themselves."-Washington, D.C., Sept. 21, 2003

nyc xyz

I guess people will put up with anything...how else to explain the
profusion of fees, charges, and surcharges for every goddamned little
thing?

Next up: your 401 (k)!

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-retire-series,0,5919098.special?coll=la-home-right1


Oh, wait a minute..."I don't know why you're upset...I've seen them
before...."

joanne schmitz

Is this still relevant to alt.fan.miss-manners?

-JoAnne

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