REALLY random: charging for condiments?

[NathanJK]

Tonight I had dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings and they charged me .40 per tiny little 1.5 oz. cup of ranch I went through, charged Joanna for her bleu cheese, and charged my cousin for the two things of southwest ranch they ate. Call me crazy but the last time I got wings somewhere else (usually hooters) it was EXPECTED that one would get a dipping sauce with their wings.

I had to ASK for it at Buffalo Wild Wings, and then they freaking charged me for it! This might seem like a small thing to get worked up about but it just seemed really rude and chinchy to me. The place was PACKED, the profit margin on hot wings must be GREAT by my estimates...its not like they couldn't have absorbed 6 ounces of dressing for 70 bucks worth of freaking food.

My solution to the problem was to figure the tip at exactly 15%, then subtract out the condiments. I showed my math in detail on the check as well so the stupid waitress (who wasn't all that great) would know exactly why her tip sucked. I felt a bit bad about it at first since I'm a waiter too...but then I realized that when someone asks me for ranch I typically bring them two sides of it. If someone asks me for extra lemon for their tea or fish I bring them 2 or 3. Typically if a person asks for extra of some condiment its because they REALLY like it, I know I do!

Wow, I just typed a novel...about condiments So I'm curious, has anyone else noticed restaraunts charging for condiments? Is this a new trend?

Edit: oh yeah, at my restaraunt (Fish City Grill) its not even possible to charge a person for a condiment, there's no button for it or anything and we are instructed to get the guests whatever they want as far as such things go.

[Janice_d]

Its becoming a new trend.. I have noticed.. I think If you come in and order say...and order of fries..ONLY.. then maybe.. charge for the dip.. or sauce... BUT with a Large Ticket Order.. it should be a given... I wonder what they would do if you brought your own.. RANCH dip next time... ??

[NathanJK]

Originally Posted by Janice_d

Its becoming a new trend.. I have noticed.. I think If you come in and order say...and order of fries..ONLY.. then maybe.. charge for the dip.. or sauce... BUT with a Large Ticket Order.. it should be a given... I wonder what they would do if you brought your own.. RANCH dip next time... ??

GOOD idea! IF ever I eat there again I will try to remember to do it If I forget and they charge me again I might ask to speak to a manager in order to lodge my complaint. Then again, I might call them tomorrow if I get a free moment just to let them know how irritating it was, I dont really want to get any free stuff because I doubt I'll be eating there again anyways. The food was good but the service was lackluster and it was LOUD. Nathan likes quiet dining!

[brad]

Last time a restaurant tried to "upcharge" me for adds like this, I very loudly asked the management where my discount was for all the things I told them NOT to include (no lettuce or tomato on the burger, for instance).

That restaurant abandoned their petty upcharges shortly after that.

[LoungeLizard]

Didn't know Hooters had condiments! LOL

[JohnT]

If I know that a restaurant charges for stuff like this, I take my own. I've never been hassled about it so far.

[jagphoto]

I never have noticed that about Buffalo Wild Wings, because I was too busy trying to get my drink filled or silverware. I am in Houston and your restaurant sounds like the same one here in Cypress. The service is terrible, it is soooo loud, and the waiters don't know anything! the last time I tried to get crackers with my salad the waiter told me they didn't have any. When I walked up to the Togo counter....mysteriously crackers appeared, the guy there handed me at least 5 packs of them. (I didn't notice, but I wonder if I got charged for them??)

[Daniel Bates]

I'll probably start protesting when Chik-Fil-A charges me for the ketchup and napkins.


I can see it now: Drink--1.50, Straw--0.50...

[boomerd35]

Yeah, I had a similar experience at Buffalo Wild Wings. My order came with a sauce, and I picked one (Terriaki, I think). I didn't like it at all, and I asked the waitress if I could get a different sauce. "Sure", she said. She didn't mention she would be charging me for the 2nd sauce, which is what irritated me. If she would have told me it would be an extra .50 (you must have got some kind of discount if they only charged you .40 ), I would have passed.

Troy T.

[NathanJK]

Originally Posted by boomerd35

"Sure", she said. She didn't mention she would be charging me for the 2nd sauce, which is what irritated me.

Same here, she smiled and said "sure!" I never even considered I was getting charged for it because generally if a place is going to charge you they have the decency to tell you so. For instance, if you substitute red beans and rice, a salad, or a cup of soup for any side at my restaraunt its a dollar extra. During my "what sides would you like?" spiel I always mention that there is an extra charge for those items, but if you substitute them for both of your sides there is no additional charge.

[Breezy]

well Olive Garden now charges for extra marinara sauce.
My ds dips everything in it.
They bring us a little boat and charge $2 for it.
Dh about stroked lol

[Saltwater Servitude]

I work in the restaurant business also, as both manager and waitstaff. We do charge for splitting items for the guests, but we're always without fail supposed to tell the customers if there is any upcharge.

Now here's the kicker, most patrons don't care one way or the other as long as they know about it. We just got a call about it this week from a customer. They were not happy about a $3 charge for splitting a $27 entree despite the fact that they end up with a full serving of side items on both plates. They really weren't happy when I mentioned that it should have been a $6 charge for that particular item. Both myself and the owner invited them to not return to our establishment.

Charging for some things is a joke. If you order a caesar salad and want extra dressing, no problem. Now there are A-holes in the world who want to order a house salad and get a side of caesar dressing. No can do. The greens are the same, but our caesar dressing is where all the food costs are involved.

Now only getting one type of dipping sauce is preposterous. Most likely its a corporate recipe subbed out for processing and packaging which is then shipped to location. Some jerk wad in a cubicle somewhere got a promotion for showing how if they charged for extra sides of sauces, not only would a profit potentially be realized on each served sauce, but it would greatly discourage the extra sauces from being ordered. On one hand you've decreased your food costs, and secondly, you've opened up a new revenue stream.

Looks great on paper, then customers start going elsewhere because little nit-picky bull crap like that irritates everyone.

Don't even get me started on "toilet paper flow restrictors". I happened to meet the guy who came up with that idea.

[Saltwater Servitude]

Originally Posted by Breezy

well Olive Garden now charges for extra marinara sauce.
My ds dips everything in it.
They bring us a little boat and charge $2 for it.
Dh about stroked lol

If you happen to order a little olive oil for your pasta while you are there, tell the waitstaff you'd like it poured at the table. Otherwise, you're getting canola oil. I've known a few former OG servers in my time.

[NathanJK]

I can completely see charging a modest amount for splitting an entree...we dont do it at Fish City, but it definitely seems reasonable to me since I've seen split plates go out, its definitely more food than a single entree! It wasn't even like I wanted some more wing sauce, it was just ranch dressing! I could see charging for extra wing sauce MAYBE, but I know they probably make their ranch from a mix of some sort and its undoubtedly dirt cheap.

[Saltwater Servitude]

Originally Posted by NathanJK

I can completely see charging a modest amount for splitting an entree...we dont do it at Fish City, but it definitely seems reasonable to me since I've seen split plates go out, its definitely more food than a single entree! It wasn't even like I wanted some more wing sauce, it was just ranch dressing! I could see charging for extra wing sauce MAYBE, but I know they probably make their ranch from a mix of some sort and its undoubtedly dirt cheap.

Very true. Most restaurants are using Sysco's mix with either heavy whipping cream or good old whole milk. Not a whole lot to it. Heck, we make our lobster bisque base sauce with a mix from Haco. Dayum good too.