restaurant charges for extra plate to split a meal?

[mexican-mouseketeers]

I live in Mexico and here you are never charged when you split meals. On the other hand, most restaurants charge a small fee per person (between $1 and 2$) for "free" stuff like bread, butter, crackers, etc.

Julie

 

[wdwfreak]

I am the general manager of a "casual-dining" restaurant. I won't say which one, but think in terms of TGIFriday's or Ruby Tuesday. Anyway, we could not survive if we nickel and dimed every customer that walks in there. I've read people talking about the charge covering the cost of washing the plate, extra garnish, etc. Those costs are so minimal that it doesn't make sense in my estimation to charge $2-3 for the extra plate.

Guests in my restaurant constantly ask for extra BBQ, extra pickles, extra crackers, etc. We give it to them at no charge. Let's figure this out: A gallon of BBQ sauce costs me about 8.00. There are roughly 16 cups in a gallon at 8 oz. per cup. If I give a guest an extra 2 oz of BBQ sauce, it costs me about about .12. I would estimate that in labor, hot water, and chemicals you add less than a nickel to wash the ramekin that it is served in.

I'll take the $30-50 that the average family of four spends in my restaurant over worrying about that .12. If I charge, say, a quarter for every extra side to cover the cost, then that family is going to end up going to one of the dozen or so other restaurants up and down the street that don't charge for that.

Again, I'll take the sales. This may sound crude and uneducated, but I can say with some degree of knowledge, that the higher your gross sales, the easier it is to make your budgets. Period. SO, anything I can do to bring in that $30-50, I'll do. Even if that includes not charging for an extra plate.

Just my 12 cents ...

 

[Gillian]

I am the general manager of a "casual-dining" restaurant. I won't say which one, but think in terms of TGIFriday's or Ruby Tuesday. Anyway, we could not survive if we nickel and dimed every customer that walks in there.

I would guess that economies of scale come in to play at a large chain restraurant. A single, local place will have different costs associated with items like garnish and even fries.

I would be surprised and unhappy to see a sharing charge at a national chain or franchise, however I would be willing to pay a sharing charge at a local restaurant (for an adult or older child).

Off-topic, but when I don't order food for my children (2 and 5) or split a meal between them, we usually give the server a bigger tip. One place we go to is really cheap with large portions, and the service is great so we always leave extra. The servers have to wait on 4 people, bring extra plates, water, etc, so they earn it.

 

[swilshire]

Diners have a lot of options. I would eat at wdwfreak's restaurant before one that "nickels and dimes" you any day if all other things are equal. As suggested, you can make $29.50 off me or $32 and never see me again. In the long run, wdwfreak will be in business when the others may not be unless they are extra special in some way.

I totally agree with compensating the waitstaff appropriately. On the other hand, if they act like every request is a nuisance, they'll be lucky to get 10 - 15%.

Sheila

 

[Skatermom23]

I am the general manager of a "casual-dining" restaurant. I won't say which one, but think in terms of TGIFriday's or Ruby Tuesday. Anyway, we could not survive if we nickel and dimed every customer that walks in there. I've read people talking about the charge covering the cost of washing the plate, extra garnish, etc. Those costs are so minimal that it doesn't make sense in my estimation to charge $2-3 for the extra plate.

Guests in my restaurant constantly ask for extra BBQ, extra pickles, extra crackers, etc. We give it to them at no charge. Let's figure this out: A gallon of BBQ sauce costs me about 8.00. There are roughly 16 cups in a gallon at 8 oz. per cup. If I give a guest an extra 2 oz of BBQ sauce, it costs me about about .12. I would estimate that in labor, hot water, and chemicals you add less than a nickel to wash the ramekin that it is served in.

I'll take the $30-50 that the average family of four spends in my restaurant over worrying about that .12. If I charge, say, a quarter for every extra side to cover the cost, then that family is going to end up going to one of the dozen or so other restaurants up and down the street that don't charge for that.

Again, I'll take the sales. This may sound crude and uneducated, but I can say with some degree of knowledge, that the higher your gross sales, the easier it is to make your budgets. Period. SO, anything I can do to bring in that $30-50, I'll do. Even if that includes not charging for an extra plate.

Just my 12 cents ...

Your the type of person I like to deal with....

 

[LIFERBABE]

I will say this, there are restaurants that I will never return to because they nickel and dimed us.

We have a catfish place that serves a really nice relish tray when you dine in. Sometimes we would order our meal to go, and although the prices were the same we didnt get any of the items served on the tray. That was fine, I understood.

The last time I visited to pick up my to go order, I requested additional sauce (they gave me one or two packets). They wanted to charge me additional for each packet of sauce. If I had dined in, I would have received more sauce than that, included with the price of my meal, but to go orders were not being treated fairly. So we have never been back.

This is not a chain restaurant, and I would love to support small business, but I just didnt find this practice fair, so I cannot support it.

One of the reasons I like WDW. If they go to nickel and diming for everything, I will not support their restaurants either.

 

[DebºoºS]

I think it's fair to charge for the extra plate. They still have to clean up another plate and service that person. It's a nominal charge at WDW $$.

 

[richybush]

I've also been to restaurants that had a minimum charge per person noted on their dinner menus.

probably a very luxurious restaurant who can afford to piss off customers...

 

[C.Ann]

I like the idea of ordering a small side order and using that plate.. Will have to keep that in mind..

 

[Lewisc]

probably a very luxurious restaurant who can afford to piss off customers...

Some inexpensive breakfast type restaurants and diners have a minimum order per person. They don't want one guest paying $1 for a cup of coffee and getting unlimited refills while eating the toast that's was intended for the customer who ordered eggs or the muffin basket that was put on the table.

 

[C.Ann]

Some inexpensive breakfast type restaurants and diners have a minimum order per person. They don't want one guest paying $1 for a cup of coffee and getting unlimited refills while eating the toast that's was intended for the customer who ordered eggs or the muffin basket that was put on the table.

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Wow! Now restaurants can tell people how much they need/have to eat?? I'll have to watch out for those.. Not uncommon at all for me to go out to eat with my DD, DSIL & DGD and have nothing but coffee while they're eating.. "Force feeding" - huh? No wonder weight is such an issue in this country..

 

[SleepyatDVC]

to clarify -- yes, we did order TWO dinners and an appetizer as well.

I would have told her that your child was having the appetizer as her meal, if she wouldn't back down for a CHILD!!

I've heard of plate sharing charges but not for children unless you had a giant 11 yo!

 

[KPmom]

I have had weightloss surgery and I am only able to eat 4-6 oz at a time. I try to order something healthy and share with my 4 yo DD. I have nver had anyone question me, but if they did I have a medical card that states information about my surgery and asks that I be allowed to order half portions or from the kids or senior menu. There are some places that do not accomidate me and we just don't eat there. We have a great buffet that lets me eat at the kids price and we dine there often. Another charges me full price and we have not been back. I am sure that the waitstaff would rather have me split an adult entree with me daughter then order a kids meal, as most adult meals are more than double a kids meal price. ~Mandy

 

[amarberry]

While I can't stand restaurants that nickel and dime you for things like extra sauce, etc., I can understand why a restaurant would charge for adults sharing (and I've noticed that a lot of restaurants state something like "$3 charge for plate sharing" on the menu). We have some friends who order one kids meal for their two (hungry) kids to split, one meal for the husband and wife to split, water for everyone, and then they leave (what I consider) a lousy tip. This family isn't strapped for cash...they are just really cheap. I feel bad for the server who, IMHO, has to work just as hard for probably half the tip that they would have received if someone else had been seated at their table. In a situation like this, I think the extra charge for sharing is appropriate.

All that said, depending on the child's age, I generally don't agree in the extra charge for a child sharing your meal.

 

[DW mouser]

I'm thinking with the Disney Dining Plan, there will be plate charges at DW because of all the meals shared!! I think I'll tell them we'll use our appetizer plates!!!

 

[NeverlandClub23]

My parents always split a meal when we all go out to eat and recently a lot of rest. started charging $1-3 to do this. So they just stopped telling them they were splitting although some of them still charge if they see two people eating off of one plate.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I love places (i.e. Cracker Barrel, etc.) that let adults order off of the kids menu. I don't eat a whole lot and most of the time the food on the kids menu is more appealing!