Is sharing food in a restaurant unfair.

c68zapdsm5i1ru · 11-09-2017 12:39PM #1

A friend of mine was in a restaurant with her two kids recently and because the pizzas were really big (and quite expensive) she ordered one between the two children. The waitress refused, and said she had to order a meal for each person at the table.

I was really surprised by this, as I've often done the same. But another friend thought the restaurant were quite right and people shouldn't be taking up, for instance, a table for four if they're only ordering two meals and planning to share.

Just wondering what people's views on this are?

pjohnson · 11-09-2017 12:40PM

Waitress and restaurant a bit of a dick. Never heard of that policy before.

Hollister11 · 11-09-2017 12:42PM

I was in a restaurant and my mum and I ordered separate chips. They made us ordered a shared one.

GLaDOS · 11-09-2017 12:42PM

That's pretty bizzare, especially as sharing pizza would be fairly common.

davo2001 · 11-09-2017 12:42PM

pjohnson wrote: »

Waitress and restaurant a bit of a dick. Never heard of that policy before.

Probably not the waitresses faulty, just following company policy. Owner and the restaurant are the ones that are d!cks here.

silverharp · 11-09-2017 12:42PM

sounds a bit daft, kids only eat kids portions. did they cave? I'd either have asked the manager to come over or walk out.

my3cents · 11-09-2017 12:44PM

I was in a restaurant recently with my wife and didn't order a sweet. The waitress delivered my wifes order, a vast portion of cake, with two spoons.

OP if you don't like the service just get up an leave.

How Soon Is Now · 11-09-2017 12:45PM

What a load of ****e.

I can understand if your there ordering one dish between a few adults but a big pizza between two kids whats the issue?

I know its not aloud to be posted but id love to know the name of the place cause i can imagine the type of place its trying to be....

Sue Pa Key Pa · 11-09-2017 12:46PM

Hollister11 wrote: »

I was in a restaurant and my mum and I ordered separate chips. They made us ordered a shared one.

I hate that. 3 or 4 people order food and they bring out a single sharing bowl of veg. Never going to end well

seamus · 11-09-2017 12:47PM

I've definitely heard of restaurants being like this. Doesn't this go back to the whole "four tourists buying a pint and sharing it for an hour" story?

Ultimately where a restaurant sits someone at a table, they expect that person is going to buy something. Two people sharing a single meal are eating into profit margins, which are very tight as it is. So much so that if two people were to share a pizza, it might actually be costing the restaurant money for those people to be sitting there.

Now, one would expect common sense to be applied. If it's half empty, then there's not a lot of harm in letting the kids share a pizza. But if the restaurant is packed and she's ordering one pizza between two of them, then I'm inclined to side with the restaurant on that one.

11-09-2017 12:47PM

I once ordered a plate of spaghetti and a friend did likewise, and we both started sucking on a long piece that turned out was the same one, so we ended up kissing.

True story.

Winterlong · 11-09-2017 12:48PM

That sounds a bit bizarre to be fair. Especially with kids. I would have walked.

osarusan · 11-09-2017 12:52PM

I can understand the restaurant being a bit annoyed at their expected profit dwindling/disappearing, but, especially with kids involved, I'd have thought they'd put up with it.

I wonder is there some info on the menu/website/at the door which makes their policy clear.

wakka12 · 11-09-2017 12:53PM

pjohnson wrote: »

Waitress and restaurant a bit of a dick. Never heard of that policy before.

I guarantee you the waitress didnt give the slightest **** and was just doing what she was told to :pac:

And if a restaurant didnt allow me to share food then I would no longer be a patron of that restaurant. So stingey

Your Face · 11-09-2017 12:54PM

F--k them

How Soon Is Now · 11-09-2017 12:55PM

osarusan wrote: »

I can understand the restaurant being a bit annoyed at their expected profit dwindling/disappearing, but, especially with kids involved, I'd have thought they'd put up with it.

I wonder is there some info on the menu/website/at the door which makes their policy clear.

Theres not going to be profit at all if you start telling people they cant share one big expensive pizza between two kids!.

I understand the budgets etc restaurants have to deal with i work in a kitchen myself but there is so much choice out there now that if you start nit picking at **** like this people just wont come back.

Believe me some of the things customers are looking for now a days when ordering food this is nothing really.

rainbow kirby · 11-09-2017 01:00PM

I share with my toddler (18 months) all the time because he won't eat enough to justify a kid's meal in most places, I probably wouldn't do it with a much older child though.

dunleakelleher · 11-09-2017 01:02PM

Benjamin Green Salesclerk wrote: »

A friend of mine was in a restaurant with her two kids recently and because the pizzas were really big (and quite expensive) she ordered one between the two children. The waitress refused, and said she had to order a meal for each person at the table.

I was really surprised by this, as I've often done the same. But another friend thought the restaurant were quite right and people shouldn't be taking up, for instance, a table for four if they're only ordering two meals and planning to share.

Just wondering what people's views on this are?

Can you follow on by telling us did she order another pizza or leave.

I would have got up and walked out. I would prefer to send the message that they have just lost two plates and probably 3 desserts and repeat custom because of stupidity.

vandriver · 11-09-2017 01:04PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I once ordered a plate of spaghetti and a friend did likewise, and we both started sucking on a long piece that turned out was the same one, so we ended up kissing.

True story.

You tramp

tupenny · 11-09-2017 01:14PM

That's ridiculous OP. I'd have walked.
2 "kids meals" (which are normally brutal) probs would've cost around the same as the pizza shared.
I never get dessert as haven't a sweet tooth, but restaurants normally will bring out an extra soon assuming we plan to share.
V scabby by that place op

neonsofa · 11-09-2017 01:15PM

my3cents wrote: »

I was in a restaurant recently with my wife and didn't order a sweet. The waitress delivered my wifes order, a vast portion of cake, with two spoons.

OP if you don't like the service just get up an leave.

I hate when places do this. If I order something nice and the person I'm with doesn't thats their choice. I ordered it for myself, not to share. I don't even care if that makes me sound selfish, if I ordered it it means I wanted it- for me.

Widdershins · 11-09-2017 01:17PM

Let them turn away two customers and wait for groups of four then. That's just silly. Appetites and budgets vary.

Erik Shin · 11-09-2017 01:18PM

osarusan wrote: »

I can understand the restaurant being a bit annoyed at their expected profit dwindling/disappearing, but, especially with kids involved, I'd have thought they'd put up with it.

I wonder is there some info on the menu/website/at the door which makes their policy clear.

You mean ...one person...one meal.... who'd have thunk that?!?!

11-09-2017 01:20PM

Benjamin Green Salesclerk wrote: »

A friend of mine was in a restaurant with her two kids recently and because the pizzas were really big (and quite expensive) she ordered one between the two children. The waitress refused, and said she had to order a meal for each person at the table.

I was really surprised by this, as I've often done the same. But another friend thought the restaurant were quite right and people shouldn't be taking up, for instance, a table for four if they're only ordering two meals and planning to share.

Just wondering what people's views on this are?

Its very short sighted thinking. The family of four go to the restaurant but only order 3 meals, have a great time, go back to the restaurant, it becomes a favourite, the kids grow up, have birthday parties there, invite friends, tell their friends about it. Over the course of a few years they spend thousands in the place.

Or its the policy that for four seats taken up you must order four meals, the family of four comply but feel miffed. Never darken the door of the place again.

Lickin2me · 11-09-2017 01:22PM

I like chips shared

GingerLily · 11-09-2017 01:22PM

Tell your friend to make sure she writes a review of the restaurant so that potential customers are aware of their policy. Might sound mean spirited but there's usually another restaurant down the road more than happy to take the business!!

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 11-09-2017 01:24PM

seamus wrote: »

I've definitely heard of restaurants being like this. Doesn't this go back to the whole "four tourists buying a pint and sharing it for an hour" story?

Ultimately where a restaurant sits someone at a table, they expect that person is going to buy something. Two people sharing a single meal are eating into profit margins, which are very tight as it is. So much so that if two people were to share a pizza, it might actually be costing the restaurant money for those people to be sitting there.

Now, one would expect common sense to be applied. If it's half empty, then there's not a lot of harm in letting the kids share a pizza. But if the restaurant is packed and she's ordering one pizza between two of them, then I'm inclined to side with the restaurant on that one.

How much profit do they make if the costumer ups and leaves? And how much extra space so two kids take up compared to one adult?

11-09-2017 01:24PM

Benjamin Green Salesclerk wrote: »

A friend of mine was in a restaurant with her two kids recently and because the pizzas were really big (and quite expensive) she ordered one between the two children. ......................
Just wondering what people's views on this are?

Sounds an awful policy.

An expensive (relative to other places) pizza for two kids isn't at all unreasonable and your friend was getting a meal for herself too.

If the restaurant can't facilitate a lady/gent out for a meal with their two kids they shouldn't be a restaurant IMO.

If I saw that carry on in a place I'd be slow to go their again and would mention that when settling my bill too.

GingerLily wrote: »

Tell your friend to make sure she writes a review of the restaurant so that potential customers are aware of their policy. Might sound mean spirited but there's usually another restaurant down the road more than happy to take their business!!

Indeed, one for tripadviser etc IMO

11-09-2017 01:24PM

Benjamin Green Salesclerk wrote:

I was really surprised by this, as I've often done the same. But another friend thought the restaurant were quite right and people shouldn't be taking up, for instance, a table for four if they're only ordering two meals and planning to share.

Absolute nonsense. If a family of friends 3 go in & one isn't hungry they'd be to wait outside? Never heard of anything like this in any country I've been to.

As for sharing food it's perfectly normal for children to share food for two reasons. Portion size and the cost.
There's nothing wrong with sharing. I got wings as starter last night in a restaurant. My wife did want starters. Yet they brought out napkins, bowl of water and lemon wipes for two in case we shared. Not that I share

My suggestion is don't return to this restaurant

c68zapdsm5i1ru · 11-09-2017 01:26PM

dunleakelleher wrote: »

Can you follow on by telling us did she order another pizza or leave.

I would have got up and walked out. I would prefer to send the message that they have just lost two plates and probably 3 desserts and repeat custom because of stupidity.

No, she left.

kurtainsider · 11-09-2017 01:47PM

seamus wrote: »

.....................So much so that if two people were to share a pizza, it might actually be costing the restaurant money for those people to be sitting there............................

Sorry - I don't buy that for a second. How could it cost the restaurant money to allow 2 kids to share a large (expensive) pizza?

By being disobliging and a bit dickish about it they lost the sale of 2 pizzas, plus 3 drinks, plus 3 possible deserts, plus goodwill plus repeat business.

I'm not a restaurateur but I think that was a very poor business decision. Why can't some businesses recognise the importance of keeping the customer happy? It wasn't an unreasonable request.

Is sharing food in a restaurant unfair.

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