"Splitting a Coffee" in a Restaurant?
 

Mrs. Fredd and I were enjoying lunch in an upscale (by local standards) restaurant the other day.

The couple at the next table had finished their main course and asked to split a dessert, then said they would split a coffee as well. They debated regular vs decaf (chose regular), and the server brought them one cup of coffee along with a shared dessert.

She even gave them a refill.

We'll split the odd appetizer, salad, or dessert, most often when recommended by the server (and not all in one meal). I don't think we've ever split a main course, but know folks with small appetites who do and realize some restaurants add a surcharge.

But splitting a coffee? :eek: That takes me back to the "one coke - two straws" days of my youth in the 50s. :p

It was a first for us. Is this at all commonplace?

No, it's not. Sounds a tad on the chap side. Then again, I suppose on of them could have ordered the coffee and simply split it.

the only drinks i will share are really expensive ones
(or just to try, as others mentioned below)

but these kinds of things do happen

The two ladies next to us at dinner last night (upscale seafood restaurant, dinner about $175 for two) shared a dessert and split a final glass of wine.

The waiter brought two glasses with an equal amount of red wine in each.

I don't have a problem with that given the cost of wine in restaurants and I think the waiter handled it really well. Maybe they each wanted a taste but not a full glass - that's fine. But when it is coffee or soft drinks with unlimited refills, sharing one and then getting a refill is clearly violating the spirit of the restaurant's policy.

Same here. ^ More than once I've ordered a second glass of wine and poured a portion into Mrs. Fredd's glass, and we'd ordinarily joke about it with the server. Of course, our neighboring diners made their intentions clear as well.

However, let's hypothesize that it's a cheap wine and an expensive coffee, say, a $6 glass vs. a $3 cup.

My only rationale for drawing a distinction is that it's a second glass of wine versus a first cup of coffee.

IMHO the server handled it with class by offering a refill. I guess I'm overly sensitive about being labeled as a cheapskate, and your comments have reassured me that "splitting" one coffee between two diners is not common practice.

I eat out ALOT and I've never seen anyone split a coffee. Splitting dessert, on the other hand, is so common that waiters will often bring a second fork when only one person orders dessert, even if they've expressed no desire to share.

Splitting a coffee is a cheapskate move because it's customarily an item that comes with free refills. Indeed, in this case the server did even refill it. If I were the manager I wouldn't have allowed it. Splitting items that don't come with refills is fine, though. E.g., splitting an appetizer or dessert is common.

I always split a bottle of wine and, if dessert is ordered at all I will split it. But splitting a coffee and then accepting a refill is appalling behavior.

It seems like it's strictly a matter between the other table and the restaurant. Unless you were looking for someone else's permission to try it yourselves next time.

I wasn't deliberately eavesdropping on the conversation, if that's what you're implying, nor did I post here to seek validation to attempt it myself. :p

I plead guilty to simple curiosity. ;)

I overhear more than I care to due to the closeness of other tables in too many restaurants. People blowing their nose or clearing their throat or discussing personal business loudly bother me. I seldom notice what they're ordering.

I will admit I've never heard anyone ask to share a coffee. You were curious. That's understandable. Others are offended. I think that's absurd.

I've split beer with Mr. Kipper at the end of a meal, and occasionally, they'll give us two half pints. I've not split coffee with anyone, and it seems weird to ask to split that.

I've spilt a glass of wine with my wife, but never ordered it that way. I've just grabbed it and taken the odd sip. There's also a local bar where I feel comfortable asking for a half glass of wine at the end of the evening. They usually pour me one and don't add it to the tab.

We may comment about sharing, but don't ask for a separate glass. That said, it's usually at one of our normal stops. I think I threw our usual bartender for a loop on Saturday. I only consumed about 3/4 of my beer, then gave the rest to Mr. Kipper, and switched to soft drinks, so I could be the designated driver.

Hope the local bar fared well during Irma . For a moment I thought you were writing about spilling wine. ;)

LOL It looked right when I typed it. Of course I originally thought the title of the thread was "Spitting in a Coffee". I have an appointment with the eye doctor for November.

The local bar survived Irma just fine. Still has a roof.

Is a roof mandatory for a bar? :D

Well, at least they didnt ask to share a coffee and then ask the waiter to bring a second coffee cup so they could each could have their own....now that would have been funny.

YES ! Otherwise those "wine swilling" overindulgent patrons start to see Flying Saucers ! ;)

:)

Splitting a coffee? How bizarre.

It seems to be traditional. But many of my favorite drinking holes here do not extend the roof over the seating area.

I don't think it is necessary. :D

I think this is the general rule, no splitting items with free refills, otherwise it's fine. The only exception I'd add is that you don't split soup...it's just weird.

Last night, I was at a local diner that caters to many Jewish people, thus a special Rosh Hashanah Dinner offering. An older couple came in, she was 100, he was 99. They split the "dinner" for no extra charge, including the soup, gefilte fish appetizer, main course, and dessert. One positive was that he bought an extra glass of wine whereas one was included in the set price.

At IHOP, I see many couples who get the never ending coffee pot, which usually costs $4.95 per person with only one "cup." They only get charged for one person, and after one finishes with the cup of coffee, the other then makes their own from the same "pot." Since I don't drink their coffee, I order myself a hot chocolate or tea instead. I never stick around to see if they charge the customers for multiple people as it should be when they see this. :confused:

If it was my restaurant, I would overlook it. A pot of coffee there can't cost more than fifty cents. And how long do most people sit there? Long enough to drink more than one or two pots? Yes, it's cheating/stealing but I suspect a small degree of theft is built into their pricing structure just the way a retail store sets prices to cover some level of shoplifting. So you and I paid for it, but the price was pretty small, I would think.

I would too. I love the from a Curb Your Enthusiasm episode. :D Discovering at the end of the episode that the lawyer is a total incompetent only adds to the fun.

What are you going to do - stand there and make sure the other person doesn't ever take a sip of of the cup?

Maybe they just drink slowly, and rather than have two separate cups get cold while they sip, sharing one is more likely to result in hotter coffee for longer.

Do I find it odd? Yes. But if I overheard you as a manager draw a hard line over a $3 cup of coffee, I'd probably think twice about returning.

I have never heard of splitting a coffee. From a practical standpoint, my other half and I couldn't. He's sweetener and sometimes cream. I take my coffee black.

But, no, of all the things I've heard of splitting in a restaurant, that one is a first.

Mr. Kipper takes cream and sweetener in coffee, I drink my coffee black. I can't touch his coffee.

Splitting tea is extremely common in Mumbai. Actually it is possible to order only "Half cup" of Tea (Chai). The term to use is "cutting" or to order - Ask for "Cutting Chai". The term cutting signifies the tea is cut in half and only half a cup is served. Of course the price is significantly lower than a full cup of chai (usually half the price as well).

Just google "cutting chai" or "Cutting tea"

https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-cutting-chai

So in the OPs instance, it would have been possible to just order half the cup (and pay for half the cup!)

I order one coffee and split it all the time.... for room service that is.. Plus the pot usually comes with 4 cups of coffee anyway...

FDW