Shared entry fee - is it normal? (restaurant, bread, meals)

[BusyMeAK]

Just looked at our local restaurant's menu and found this: "During our dinner hours we require a minimum order of one dinner entree per person and $2.00 fee for shared entrees. Grazie!"

Are they crazies? Or it's a common practice - charge for sharing?

[mainebrokerman]

2.00 sharing/plate fee


yep that's common

and pretty soon, they will be charging for water - its the displacement factor

[magicshark]

It's very common here. I can kind of see their point. They are in the business to make money.

[Dirt Grinder]

From what I've seen, the "shared entrée fee" covers the cost of plating the meal for two - including extra side dish portions and an extra bread. I've seen fees as high as $10.

[sskink]

Very common. And as it turns out, very necessary.

[Gerania]

The fee for shared meals has been around for years.

[Scooby Snacks]

I am updating this thread with a comment about this. My wife and I got a surprise shared plate fee yesterday at lunch. It wasn't much, only $1.50, but it got me wondering. What will they charge for next, sitting in the chair? An extra napkin? Ice cubes?

We didn't order separate entrees because we are traveling and we invariably end up throwing out the leftovers. We are generous tippers but don't want to feel railroaded into ordering more food than we can eat.

modcut

[Beretta]

$1.50 (or a fee) for a shared plate is standard in the industry. A lunch menu is the cheapest menu a restaurant offers between lunch and dinner. There is always at least an appetizer that can be ordered at lunch, if not a lunch entree, that can be boxed and taken to be eaten later.

Sorry, I don't see what the problem is. I have lived, and travel all over the country, this is very normal, routine, and standard.

[Caligula1]

As for sharing it's common around here to be charged a fee, it says it on top of the menu in most places..

[IShootNikon]

I'm ok with that. I've worked in restaurant field and hate it when a couple comes in and takes up a table and orders $3 soup while the other just waits.