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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?
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
17,330 posts, read 33,013,815 times
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I'm not in the industry, I've never been charged a "takeout fee," but I've just got to say: OMG, that's ridiculous!!!
You're absolutely right that there's plenty to offset these small costs, and that would have cost them plenty more: dish washing, napkins, waitstaff, etc.
Greedy.
I'd use their bathroom just so I could use their toilet paper for free!
Many places charge extra for containers to go.
Charging for a foil to wrap burrito seems quite extreme, and I never experienced that. Such small extras should be calculated in price.
Some places have different tax rates pending on whether food is eaten in or carried out.. And Waffle House has a policy of adding 10% (I think) to all to-go orders for a tip, which I totally disagree with as well.. But I've never seen someone charging a packaging fee.
I did. Made my displeasure known to the manager of the Mexican restaurant. Advised him that my visit was the first, last and only one. Also posted a review on yelp.com about their business practice.
BTW somebody please tell Chili's Grill & Bar to wrap take-out hamburgers and fries in paper, not aluminum foil. Jeez, you would think an upscale restaurant would know what MacDonalds etc. knows, wrap them in paper not aluminum foil or you end up with a wet hamburger and limp fries by the time you get home. -- I haven't gotten take out from them in a few years. Maybe they figured it out by now.
BTW I often buy takeout from upscale restaurants. All of them have accommodated my requests and the food has been great! -- I'm just not into MacDonalds or Jack/Box.
BTW somebody please tell Chili's Grill & Bar to wrap take-out hamburgers and fries in paper, not aluminum foil. Jeez, you would think an upscale restaurant would know what MacDonalds etc. knows, wrap them in paper not aluminum foil or you end up with a wet hamburger and limp fries by the time you get home. -- I haven't gotten take out from them in a few years. Maybe they figured it out by now.
BTW I often buy takeout from upscale restaurants. All of them have accommodated my requests and the food has been great! -- I'm just not into MacDonalds or Jack/Box.
Start your own restaurant and see how much those take out containers cut into your profit margin then complain....
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