I got this fun fee after trying to order takeout from Buffalo Wild Wings (yes I’m naming and shaming). How exactly does adding a dollar help you operate takeout? It’s literally less work than waiting on a table. This is nothing more than a shameful cash grab to pad profits.
I cancelled my order and got local street tacos instead.
EDIT: Look what I found this morning, lol https://www.today.com/food/restaurants/buffalo-wild-wings-takeout-fee-backlash-complaint-rcna90228
It’s a charge for the container your takeout food went into. They’re a significant expense, especially if it’s any type of sustainable packaging. This is not new. It has been a thing since at least the early 2000s.
I’d disagree with that there, these things are bought in bulk for literal pennies from wholesalers
I have never seen that style of container for takeout in my life and I spent two decades in the service industry. That’s not common in America.
Still, for arguments sake that works out to about £.05 per box. Of course, that’s if you go to the wholesaler to pick it up. If you’re running a restaurant, you probably get it delivered with the rest of your dried goods. You pay for that, just like you pay for the cutlery and the napkins and the sauce packets and the bag it all goes in.
A buck really isn’t unreasonable here. I’ve worked at spots where the takeout container was $0.30 each, and that’s without figuring in the delivery/fuel surcharge.
If they have a $4.40 table area credit to compensate me for the lack of physical rental space I’m not taking up, and a $0.35 silverware wash&roll power, water, and labor credit, plus a $1.25 parking space credit for the hour I’m not using the lot, and a $0.45 reception/waiting area credit for not standing around paying someone to call me when my table is ready, then I’d accept the $1.00 boxing fee. But if I’m paying the cost of waiting to be seated, taking up a table for an hour, and parking - which is bundled into the entree price - I think they can spot me a take out container.
(Interesting that places like Gregg’s, Costa, and Pret sometimes actually do charge more if you eat in)
A dollar fee seems like a small price to pay to not have to deal with you as a customer.
Yeah, you don’t want reasonable people as customers or shit like this won’t be acceptable!
And yet they’re charging me, not paying me.
But, also, they’re going to lose out to ghost kitchens if they keep adding these fees…and when they go out of business they’ll never have to deal with people like me again. Win-win, I guess.
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These containers are really common with independent curry/chinese places.
Even on this wholesaler website had loads of different containers, they aren’t that expensive at all. There are places here that do charge for cutlary and only provide it if you ask.
Also I’m not disagreeing with the price, just that the containers are expensive. They really aren’t, good businesses will buy them in bulk from a wholesaler. A place like that you get discounts anyway it just makes sense to do so.
You’re wrong.
I’m wrong? Was it the part where I sourced a website showing that a container costs less than 5p or was it the part where I mentioned the fact that restaurants who actually know how to do business will go to a wholesaler to purchase containers on mass?
I’d like to know where you think I’m wrong
You’re quoting British prices to an American topic, you clearly don’t understand how any part of the wholesaler process works, you don’t know that it’s en masse, not on mass, and you don’t seem to understand that the container isn’t the only cost associated with takeout orders.
I don’t live in america, I can only source prices and facts that are local to me.
What about the cost of eating in, because I don’t think you’re considering the price of cleaning and serving.
Can we factor in napkins? Again pennies. These are things they already have in the restaurant, along with sauces so that is already in the price of the business. The company doesn’t need to give you cutlery, so take that out but if you want to include it again, barely anything. Being generous let’s say it costs them a grand total of 0.30 cents, they’re still making a profit. Takeout costs are minimal. I’m not arguing a company can’t charge, they can do whatever they want it’s their business but saying it’s to cover the cost of containers/napkins/cutlary it’s just plain wrong.
Why are we bringing up grammar? I never attacked you for grammar, that’s pretty shitty All I asked was for you to clarify how I was wrong, because just saying “you’re wrong” isn’t really selling me on it
Haha I didn’t know that restaurant take out was an American topic. Some people…
Anyways, I 100% agree with you. These containers cost pennies, not dollars. From a business standpoint having take out containers is part of overhead i.e what you absolutely need to be in a functional business. Some restaurants are trying to flex their overhead and turn it into a profit maker.
“You know what, those containers that we’ve been providing for free since forever ago, let’s start charging a 150% markup on the container and start making money on them!”
I agree comrade. Fuck anyone who tries to turn a profit.
Edit: and I never brought up grammar. I brought up you trying to use a phrase you clearly don’t understand.
From what I read, they understand everything perfectly well.
Mf really pulled out the “typing error, argument invalid”
If that is the issue, then they should have a different menu price for takeout vs dine in.
Tacking on these fees at the last minute in an order is just exploiting people. It’s the sunk cost fallacy… I drove here and already ordered, so I’ll just go along with it.
Not cool. This is a dirty tactic.
I find it hard to believe that a cheapass disposable container costs more than keeping up with the dishes