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Old 01-12-2017, 07:41 AM
 
Location: Virginia
6,212 posts, read 3,573,986 times
Reputation: 8944

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Quote:
Originally Posted by rbwpi View Post
Recently when picking up take out food orders I was charged a fee, supposedly to cover the cost of packaging supplies. In one case it was 50 cents to cover the cost of a small sheet of aluminum foil and a small paper bag for a burrito. Another time it was 75 cents for a pizza box. In both instances the fee was not made known to me when the order was placed.


Most restaurants, other than upscale ones, generate a substantial portion of their revenue from offsite consumption (take out and delivery). My thought is that the additional cost of packaging supplies is more than offset by savings in additional rent for additional floor space that would be needed to generate additional revenue from onsite consumption that would be needed to compensate for offsite revenue if it was not available.


My thought this is just another tactic to squeeze more money out of the consumer, similar to hotel resort fees, airline fees, etc. Anyone in the industry care to comment?
Yes. I'm not in the industry but I have shopped at a Costco business center, which stocks restaurant supplies and is open to regular Costco members. They are getting gargantuan amounts of aluminum foil and take-out containers on the cheap; it's not necessary to charge you. The trade off is that if they didn't offer take-out they might not get those orders at all. You saved them from washing more dishes too.
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Old 01-12-2017, 08:21 AM
 
Location: Saint John, IN
11,583 posts, read 6,684,377 times
Reputation: 14786
They don't do that here and I have never heard of this either. I personally wouldn't shop anywhere that gave me a fee.
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Old 01-12-2017, 08:26 AM
 
Location: Chicago. Kind of.
2,894 posts, read 2,434,034 times
Reputation: 7984
For crying out loud, it's MANDATORY n the town I live in - it's one of the taxes. 1% to be exact. Yes, I'm dead serious. We pay an additional tax for takeout food from a restaurant. It goes to the Village. They had this bright idea maybe ten (?) years ago.
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Old 01-12-2017, 08:50 AM
 
Location: Bella Vista, Ark
77,772 posts, read 104,270,221 times
Reputation: 49247
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scooby Snacks View Post
Are we back to the tipping thing again? Do I tip on picking up a to-go order? No. I don't tip at Starbucks or a drive-thru; why should people tip on a to-go order? It's totally different from eating in at a restaurant. And patrons don't have to pay for containers when they eat in and take their food home. Why should they pay for containers to take their food to-go? "Because the restaurant wants them to," is not a good reason. Carrying the food in a container is part of the cost of doing business.
I certainly am not a bad tipper but I don't tip on take out either. I wonder why every time something like this comes up there are a few that want to discuss tipping habits. I think this is something that is a private matter. There are those who do not tip: not my business but I do not approve; There are those who tip 25% again, i don't understand the thinking but it is their money.
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Old 01-12-2017, 09:05 AM
 
Location: East Bay, San Francisco Bay Area
23,335 posts, read 23,735,200 times
Reputation: 23744
A few places have started this annoying practice here. It is just greed. I either don't return to the establishment or reduce their tip amount.
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Old 01-12-2017, 09:21 AM
 
Location: Raleigh-Durham NC
902 posts, read 1,095,712 times
Reputation: 1333
Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Town FFX View Post
Sorry, but those products cost the business money to send out the door. Why shouldn't they price accordingly? Not only that, but it can take more time for someone to put together a to-go order than simply plate it and send it out to the dining room.

All these things cost money, it all adds up in the end.


the real cost to the restaurant on take out orders is the fact that you are not buying a drink


soda is their highest profit margin item


they are attempting to recapture that lost revenue by charging for aluminum foil..... sad
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Old 01-12-2017, 09:45 AM
 
4,833 posts, read 5,691,005 times
Reputation: 5908
Quote:
Originally Posted by suzy_q2010 View Post
The cost of packaging takeout orders should be reflected in the menu prices of the items in the order. The customer will never notice the extra 50 cents on the menu but will get ticked off at an extra 50 cents tacked on as a line item. The proprietor is chasing pennies and losing dollars in repeat business.

I tip 10% for takeout.
Yep, restaurants just need to know where to charge it. Increase your prices a bit to offset material costs. Don't add it as a line item on every takeout order. That will just irritate the customer.
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Old 01-12-2017, 10:12 AM
 
Location: Georgia, USA
36,976 posts, read 40,989,740 times
Reputation: 44910
Quote:
Originally Posted by azsportpilot View Post
the real cost to the restaurant on take out orders is the fact that you are not buying a drink

soda is their highest profit margin item

they are attempting to recapture that lost revenue by charging for aluminum foil..... sad
That is interesting. I usually have only tap water with a sit down restaurant meal because I think drinks (not just soda) are way overpriced. Also, I avoid caffeine after breakfast and few restaurants carry my preferred soft drink or decaf tea.
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Old 01-12-2017, 10:24 AM
 
Location: London U.K.
2,587 posts, read 1,579,739 times
Reputation: 5781
Quote:
Originally Posted by ccm123 View Post
A few places have started this annoying practice here. It is just greed. I either don't return to the establishment or reduce their tip amount.

I've never heard of this custom here in the U.K, certainly not in the area of central London where we live, I can't speak for any other part of the country.
We don't have take-out very often, maybe once per month, usually Indian, Thai, or Chinese food.
Mostly I'll call an order in, then go collect it, I don't tip for that, if we have it delivered, then I tip the guy who delivers it.
If I found that a restaurant was charging for plastic food containers, paper bags etc., I'd be inclined to call them and place a big order, say £75, ($90), then say, "Oh, by the way, do you charge for containers?"
If they answered in the affirmative, I'd say, "Really? Forget it then, but thanks for letting me know."
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Old 01-12-2017, 10:51 AM
 
Location: SW Florida
15,199 posts, read 10,199,495 times
Reputation: 32140
A nicer restaurant by me charges .25 if you want a to go cup which is crazy because it is not a cheap restaurant but the owner is a cheap person (we know them personally).
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