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Cheapest restaurant patron I've witnessed

Cheapest restaurant patron I've witnessed

Old Feb 7, 2017, 9:29 am
  #31  
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how do restaurants handle this?

especially top / most expensive restaurants

reminds me to avoid restaurant week
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Old Feb 8, 2017, 11:28 am
  #32  
 
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Originally Posted by oh_lol
When I was still in Uni, I went on a trip to the USA with my best friend to visit our friends still at college.
Since we were all pretty poor students, my best friend ordered a burger at a diner and then asked for it WITHOUT any of the salad, thinking it was going to make it cheaper. He then asked the rest of us with our normal burgers if he could get some lettuce, tomato etc off us so he could put it on his.
He ended up being charged the normal amount for his burger too
My experience was slightly reversed. Back in my university days, I used to order my burgers without stuff I didn't really care for, like no mayo, no mustard, etc... One of my friends inquired why I'd do that, because to him, even if you didn't like it, those were calories you paid for that you weren't getting. This guy used to get extra whatever he could on his burgers that didn't cost any extra, so he'd avoid extra cheese (a $0.30 cost) but would ask for extra lettuce, or extra pickles, etc, because he could get more of those without paying more. Of course, he was also the kind of person who filled his pockets with ketchup packets to use at home too.
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Old Feb 8, 2017, 11:41 am
  #33  
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Originally Posted by Kagehitokiri
how do restaurants handle this?

especially top / most expensive restaurants

reminds me to avoid restaurant week
I've found that more and more top restaurants either provide several a la carte bread options on the menu (but no free bread basket) or -- if it's a set menu may not have any bread service. But if you're dropping three figures on a meal before wine, I'm sure the restaurant is going to look the other way if a patron is tacky enough to put a few pieces of bread in his or her bag.
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Old Feb 8, 2017, 11:46 am
  #34  
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I have a relative that walks into places that have self serve drinks, ice cream etc, fills up a cup he brought from home and walks back out without buying anything.

He also will meet people for dinner and then only order water but constantly ask for more of the free bread/chips & salsa/etc that came with the meal someone else ordered.
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Old Feb 8, 2017, 2:52 pm
  #35  
 
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Originally Posted by wrp96
I have a relative that walks into places that have self serve drinks, ice cream etc, fills up a cup he brought from home and walks back out without buying anything.

He also will meet people for dinner and then only order water but constantly ask for more of the free bread/chips & salsa/etc that came with the meal someone else ordered.
I can't see any difference between doing that and shoplifting. How does your relative justify doing this?
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Old Feb 8, 2017, 6:21 pm
  #36  
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chgoeditor, i mean for example enforcement of published requirement for entire table to order prixe fixe / degustation / tasting / etc

and occupying seats (for how long?) when not spending any money ($0)
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Old Feb 8, 2017, 11:19 pm
  #37  
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I'm not sure if the guy was cheap ... or not all there (he was kinda dippy)

Years ago, a penpal from Iceland was stopping in NYC as part of an American trip. At the time I lived in the suburbs, so we agreed to meet for lunch in the city. He was nice enough; however, unknown to me, he decided to kill two birds with one stone by having another American friend join us. That guy ordered a bowl of soup for lunch, which arrived at least 90% on the way to overflowing. Said fellow made a scene about the bowl not being full. I cannot recall how the server resolved his complaint, but have a strong recollection that to add more, one would need to do so by the tablespoon pretty much.
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Old Feb 9, 2017, 8:17 am
  #38  
 
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Originally Posted by Points Scrounger
That guy ordered a bowl of soup for lunch, which arrived at least 90% on the way to overflowing. Said fellow made a scene about the bowl not being full. I cannot recall how the server resolved his complaint, but have a strong recollection that to add more, one would need to do so by the tablespoon pretty much.
The server probably added more than just soup (think Fight Club).
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Old Feb 9, 2017, 9:30 am
  #39  
 
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Surprised that no one has mentioned 'that person' who always tries to stiff the rest of his party when splitting a check evenly. We have one that will try that every chance he gets. In a new group it's a certainty that the rest of the party will scratch their heads wondering why the math somehow didn't add up right
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Old Feb 9, 2017, 11:33 am
  #40  
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Originally Posted by Kagehitokiri
chgoeditor, i mean for example enforcement of published requirement for entire table to order prixe fixe / degustation / tasting / etc

and occupying seats (for how long?) when not spending any money ($0)
Sorry, I thought you were talking about bread! It never even occurred to me that someone would "go out to dinner" at Per Se, Alinea, etc., and then not eat. That's probably a question better suited for a message board made up of those in the restaurant trade. (Places using Alinea's Tock booking system probably have it handled because you pre-pay for your meal.)

Originally Posted by VivoPerLei
Surprised that no one has mentioned 'that person' who always tries to stiff the rest of his party when splitting a check evenly. We have one that will try that every chance he gets. In a new group it's a certainty that the rest of the party will scratch their heads wondering why the math somehow didn't add up right
Two solutions:
"I'll do the accounting. You each owe $50. Bob, this is $30. You need to pay another $20."

or

"Let's go to dinner without Bob. I'm tired of him trying to short change us."
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Old Feb 9, 2017, 11:44 am
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Originally Posted by Syrgul
My experience was slightly reversed. This guy used to get extra whatever he could on his burgers that didn't cost any extra, so he'd avoid extra cheese (a $0.30 cost) but would ask for extra lettuce, or extra pickles, etc, because he could get more of those without paying more. Of course, he was also the kind of person who filled his pockets with ketchup packets to use at home too.

Hey...I think he ended up working where I work.
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Old Feb 9, 2017, 11:54 am
  #42  
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Originally Posted by wrp96
I have a relative that walks into places that have self serve drinks, ice cream etc, fills up a cup he brought from home and walks back out without buying anything.
Originally Posted by BadgerBoi
I can't see any difference between doing that and shoplifting. How does your relative justify doing this?
I personally don't see the difference with shoplifting either.

Relative justifies it by saying "they've never stopped me, other people do it, there's no sign saying purchase required, it wouldn't be out for everyone to use if it wasn't free, etc."

I don't spend time with said relative anymore. In fact, relative has been accused of shoplifting before, but the store decided not to press charges.
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Old Feb 9, 2017, 12:50 pm
  #43  
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Originally Posted by VivoPerLei
Surprised that no one has mentioned 'that person' who always tries to stiff the rest of his party when splitting a check evenly. We have one that will try that every chance he gets. In a new group it's a certainty that the rest of the party will scratch their heads wondering why the math somehow didn't add up right
The thing that really seriously gets my goat, is when people open up the calculator apps on their phones to calculate to the last 5c who owes what portion of the bill.
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Old Feb 9, 2017, 1:46 pm
  #44  
 
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Originally Posted by VivoPerLei
Surprised that no one has mentioned 'that person' who always tries to stiff the rest of his party when splitting a check evenly. We have one that will try that every chance he gets. In a new group it's a certainty that the rest of the party will scratch their heads wondering why the math somehow didn't add up right
Flyertalkers are not above this. There was one, who no longer posts I believe, who would always short the group at DOs to the point where she was no longer welcome at certain DOs.

Jim

Last edited by jimquan; Feb 9, 2017 at 9:26 pm Reason: Speling
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Old Feb 14, 2017, 5:40 am
  #45  
 
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Could have been brits/europeans/australians...

I see the server grimace when they hear our accents. I tip 20%.

However, I do argue blind with people from my country that tipping IS NOT OPTIONAL. And that THEY ARE IN ANOTHER COUNTRY. People who can afford it.

Might have become even worse for us brits now that our currency is worth buttons now. So paying a relatively high price for the food as well as tipping... Not an excuse, I doubt that type would tip if it was $100 to the pound.
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