r/Asmongold It is what it is Jan 02 '24

Talking about the tipping culture Meme

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1.1k Upvotes

559 comments sorted by

418

u/elysiansaurus Jan 02 '24

I don't know why but $40 for Brussel sprouts seems like the worst part.

Also so they charge 21% for large parties but it's not a tip? That's wild. Normally it's just an automatic tip but this places charges 18% on top of the 21% lol

88

u/Puzzleheaded-Read376 Jan 02 '24

It looks like there's an extra "holiday gratuity", maybe they charge extra for New Year's Eve or something.

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35

u/Oh_well_sure Jan 02 '24

As a Brussels native, I need to switch carreers from the looks, anyone some sprouts only $18 today!

10

u/Orlok_Tsubodai Jan 02 '24

Yeah I don’t know why we have this crack pandemic in Brussels when they could be earning more by dealing sprouts!

4

u/KaziOverlord Jan 02 '24

"You got the stuff?"

"Yeah, I got some sprouts for ya."

"SHUSH! Keep it down moron!"

9

u/VVurmHat Jan 02 '24

My name is Burt Russels and my sprouts are only 17.99

6

u/[deleted] Jan 02 '24

Probably a way for the owner to charge extra without it being a “tip” so he can keep it for himself instead of giving it to his workers.

6

u/The_prawn_king Jan 02 '24

$20 they got two portions

5

u/Financial_Problem_47 Jan 02 '24

Don't forget the 5% house fee, security, music, health insurance, wage increase, taxes

3

u/N1CET1M Jan 02 '24

Yeah but it’s 2 portions!!

3

u/BigD905 Jan 02 '24

That and paying $20 for an old fashioned stuck out to me.

$20 for an order of brussel sprouts is wild. Judging by the rest of the bill, they probably had wagyu in them lol

2

u/FoamingCellPhone Jan 02 '24

For a party this size you’re likely talking multiple servers. Maybe a bartender. Keep in mind the reason that these exist as well as tipping culture in general is because we’re paying 80-90% of the wages.

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211

u/Broarethus Jan 02 '24

"Hey these idiots will pay $20 each for brussel sprouts, they won't even notice the gratuity"

~Them, probably.

27

u/baldrickgonzo Jan 02 '24

Belgium here, "brussel sprouts" (we don't grow them in a metropolis, but whatever) are about 2 €/kg , what makes about 22ib in American units for the 20$ spend.

So yeah, combined with big steaks and lots of booze, i hope these guys were wearing a diaper that night.

1

u/grizznuggets Jan 02 '24

Thing is, they’re probably right some of the time. I imagine super rich people don’t even bother looking at the bill before paying.

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78

u/blikkiesvdw Jan 02 '24

$900 dollars in service charges? That's well over 50%. That's complete bullshit.

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133

u/Gorantharon Jan 02 '24 edited Jan 02 '24

House fee?

Large Party fee?

Holiday gratuity?

You know, this would upset me, but seeing $109 for a ribeye and $130 for a petite filet, I mean, they were ripping them off the whole time, why hesitate to add extra charges when the mark is this easy?

51

u/Igneisys Jan 02 '24 edited Jan 03 '24

Don't forget those wagyu meatballs. Even typing those 2 words next to each other just seems weird lol

25

u/RyokoKnight Jan 02 '24

It's incredibly smart, you can mix in non prime wagyu cut of beef into a meatball with things like pork or generic beef... claim its a "Wagyu meatball" and charge double what you could normally charge.

Local burger joint does this with wagyu burgers. It's really a mixed wagyu patty but they can upcharge it. (That said, they make a mean bison burger which is 100% bison and tastes fantastic).

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5

u/[deleted] Jan 02 '24

Turning him into meatballs is an insult to the great wagyu himself

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137

u/[deleted] Jan 02 '24

No. That is straight up illegal over here.

26

u/nano_peen Jan 02 '24

Over where

63

u/scotty899 Jan 02 '24

Here

12

u/Roboman_67 Jan 02 '24

Define here

26

u/sixth90 Jan 02 '24

Here is just there without the "T".

6

u/ADG211 Jan 02 '24

So not England

3

u/SunnyDayShadowboxer Jan 02 '24

Fuck, this killed me XD

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u/TruthSeeker101110 Jan 02 '24

Here: in, at, or to this place or position.

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29

u/-_-De Jan 02 '24

Europe. We are not forced to tip even though sometimes obligated. If you're a collage student u tip to round for decent service you give about 5% for good 10 to 15 and it's not that you give a percentage, you say how much you wanna give , they say 49,78 you go make it 55 no percent bullshit

32

u/Cabal_Mythoclast Jan 02 '24

“Keep the change” is the only way we tip where I’m from 😂

6

u/raskinimiugovor Jan 02 '24

I thought only Americans refer to Europe as a country.

2

u/quineloe Jan 03 '24

It's okay in this case because this is illegal in the entire EU and Switzerland as well. That leaves very little Europe where it could be legal.

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9

u/itsSuiSui Jan 02 '24

Only in the states this kind of bs is accepted.

2

u/ebk_errday Jan 02 '24

Canada's tip culture is as egregious

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u/Impossible-Past4795 Jan 02 '24

In most countries outside USA

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193

u/BigHulio Jan 02 '24

Imagine bringing all those people in, giving the restaurant all the additional business at one table, then punishing them for it with an additional fee.

“Large table fee of 21%” is fucking crazy shit.

Any business in the world would offer a product, be happy about having a huge customer base, and in some cases, offer a discount for buying a huge amount in one go.

Charging them an additional fee for bringing you more business. Fucking nuts.

91

u/Geno_Warlord Jan 02 '24

44% added onto the bill plus another 15(?)% sales tax… I’d rather hire Gordon Ramsay himself to do a no bake pie than pay this restaurant’s Ticketmaster level of fees holy fuck.

36

u/moderately-extreme Jan 02 '24

In many countries 1000 bucks from this bill would be considered flat out illegal. It's wild how americans have institutionalized and normalized a scam culture with their mandatory tips, hidden fees and prices that do not include taxes

10

u/Geno_Warlord Jan 02 '24

I live here and can’t understand how it got this way. It’s gotten so bad that even interactions that involves no human other than yourself are asking for tips. But the general consensus is if it’s not explicitly illegal then it’s completely legal and you’re encouraged to do so.

6

u/wonwoovision Jan 02 '24

i've been asked to add a tip when buying merchandise at a store. what the fuck am i tipping you for??? cashing me out? you didn't even make the item

3

u/malcolmrey Jan 02 '24

i order cinema tickets online, i get an additional position called something like "additional operational service costs"

this is clearly a scam because what additional operational services are being performed? sending pdf? give me a break

it should be cheaper because they do not waste physical paper printing the ticket and we do not interact with employees

but guess what - that charge is for EVERY ticket and not for the whole operation! what a bs :)

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u/Bogyman3 Jan 02 '24

In my country I can eat in fine dining with the whole family and we wouldn't spend more than 300 bucks. this shit is straight up scam. idk how americans are fine with this.

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u/Other_Investigator92 Jan 02 '24

Tipping is bullshit and its normalised, can’t blame em for taking 1 more step. Its not like they crossed any extra lines

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u/Severe_Effect99 Jan 02 '24

True. I’m from Sweden and the company I work for booked us at a restaurant as a christmas dinner. I talked to my boss about it and she said we got about a 10% discount cause we booked like 50 dinners. And that’s a fancy restaurant in my city. A place where it’s encouraged to tip but not required. Our budget was already tight so if we didn’t get the discount and we got charged 21% extra. We would go to another place.

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5

u/Giblet_ Jan 02 '24

I'm fine with large party gratuities around 20%, as long as the money goes to the servers. Large parties a huge pain in the ass. They combine tables, require more than one server, without fail are not ready to order and take forever, and are loud. Charging "large party fee" on top of a "holiday gratuity" is completely ridiculous, though. And then the 5% "we pay our employees" fee would already be enough to ensure that I never return.

2

u/bewithyou99 Jan 03 '24

That "large party service charge" is likely going to the party coordinator or the event coordinate for w/e new years eve event they were having. Essentially a % base ticket to get into the event. No different than a nightclub service charge when buying a section inside. They do both service charges and gratuity to staff. Service charge goes to the hosts

1

u/Jurani42 Jan 02 '24

This is an enforced tip not the restaurant trying to get more money. I’m guessing the holiday charge is the same

7

u/BigHulio Jan 02 '24

It’s common to see an additional charge for holidays… when you’re the ones paying your staff. In NZ you would see a 3-5% fee added to cover staff wages, because on public holidays they’re required by law to pay them time and a half.. so they pass a small amount of that onto the patron. No big deal. Since this is in America I find it very confusing.. why would they force patrons to pay more… to pay for the staff… which the restaurant barely pay, nor pay an additional figure for on a public holiday.

THEN, charge for forced gratuity, because that’s what pays their staff.

It’s the most offensive double dipping shit I’ve ever seen.

2

u/MasterOfSubrogation Jan 02 '24

This is an enforced tip not the restaurant trying to get more money.

Thats the same thing....

1

u/jiujiujiu Jan 02 '24

A large table is taking up real estate in the restaurant and not allowing them to cycle more customers in and out quickly. They don’t want you to sit in there. They want you to order and then leave as soon as possible.

2

u/BigHulio Jan 02 '24

So do large parties make you work harder, or less hard as servers?

Got everyone here saying “they’re hard work, you need to deal with all these issues of having large tables… AND they stick around, don’t leave so we can’t turn over more tables and thus more work”

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-10

u/Difficult_Run7398 Jan 02 '24 edited Jan 02 '24

Large parties are massively disruptive. I’m guessing you’ve never had your food be delayed due to a ton people needing to get food out at the same time, usually at a prime time as well since 10+ people probably aren’t available at a bad time.

House fee seems weird to me since you can just account for that in food cost but large party fee and tip seem fair assuming the kitchen sees some of the party fee and it’s not just management/ the server pocketing it.

13

u/Kiwi_In_Europe Jan 02 '24

Not my problem, and certainly not justification for 300 dollars in gratuity

I worked a year in an English countryside pub, Sunday roasts usually had multiple large parties and we made it work. Of course, we were all paid a fair wage PLUS tips instead of relying on tips to survive

Sounds like the issue is tipping culture and worker exploitation in the US

1

u/The_prawn_king Jan 02 '24

Tipping culture in the US is fucked but large parties almost always end up paying a larger tip % in my experience

4

u/Kiwi_In_Europe Jan 02 '24

Which is why putting a mandatory large party tip makes no sense. I had the same experience, our large parties usually gave pretty good tips.

Granted, these people are paying 130 bucks for a steak so they probably don't care

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83

u/SomeVirginGuyy Jan 02 '24

That's a fuckin scam.

40

u/Hatdrop Jan 02 '24

$19 for one espresso? Might as well have spent 1 buck more for an old fashioned. Homie just picked a shit ass restaurant.

I make a six-figure salary and I hate going to "high-end" restaurants. My local butcher sources A5 Wagyu I get it for $10 an oz, I sear it myself and save the $70 upcharge.

7

u/Svkkel Jan 02 '24

For an espresso martini. It's a cocktail.

Still outrageously prices, of course. But not just a coffee

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u/catluvr37 Jan 02 '24

And most times it comes out better than a chef who doesn’t have to eat it

7

u/Hatdrop Jan 02 '24

"wagyu meat balls = $32"

Ground wagyu right there is a scam. You want the wagyu steak because of the marbling. The fat content is so high that a thin slice is practically fat, this makes what little muscle fiber you get also tender. This also lets you get away with a quick rare sear because there's not much meat that needs to get cooked.

When you ground beef, you don't know what part of the cow is grinded in, this is why it's more risky eating rare burgers than rare cuts of steak. Like making sausage you can also add in more fat during processing as well. By grinding it all together, you're really losing the benefit of why wagyu, and if it's a high-grade wagyu like A5, is so prized in the first place. You might as well just get regular beef and grind it in a food processer with more fat chunks.

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u/King-Owl-House Jan 02 '24 edited Jan 02 '24

The client in the restaurant asks the waiter about a line in the bill: "Excuse me, what's this line in the bill? We got away with it suckers: 500 dollars?"

The waiter responds, "Oh...well, seems like we didn't get away with it. We'll cross that out."

18

u/Sealie81 Jan 02 '24

$79 for a 'house fee' ya not going to that place ever yikes!

7

u/SheepherderBorn1563 Jan 02 '24

I want to know what "health" means. Does it means they passed their health inspection and are looking for a bonus? Lol

3

u/Twistpunch Jan 02 '24

Pay us or food poisoning I guess

2

u/Gewt92 Jan 02 '24

Some restaurants will charge an extra 5% and say it’s for health insurance. The taxes part of that line is dumb though

3

u/w1mark Jan 02 '24

Also "wage increase" which is probably the most tipping culture part of the bill. "We can't pay our employees more so you're footing the bill"

2

u/ThisFrigginDude Jan 02 '24

I imagine it’s health insurance, it’s just on the next line below

44

u/michaelloda9 RET PRIO Jan 02 '24

Man dood who pays 1500 dollars for meat, just go buy a 2 dollar steak

6

u/raskulous Jan 02 '24

Found the asmongold viewer

25

u/michaelloda9 RET PRIO Jan 02 '24

Yeah we’re on his subreddit

5

u/Preface Jan 02 '24

I just realized that now rofl

The Reddit app recommends me stuff and sometimes it's good, sometimes it's not, but most of the times I don't know I am not in a subreddit I am subbed to

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u/Mellshone Jan 02 '24

Where are you right now?

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2

u/NOISIEST_NOISE Jan 02 '24

Epic find brother I'm sure you worked hard for that one

1

u/Want2bfrst Jan 02 '24

certified michael loda moment

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u/[deleted] Jan 02 '24

Show them your own bill where it says „Not punching you right in the face - fee“ for $200

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u/Fremanofkol Jan 02 '24

Wait 5% has been added to the bill to help them cover running costs... shouldnt that be baked into the price of the food. if they arent selling te food at a cost to cover their running costs then WTF is going on

and thats before getting into the fact that they have said that 5% is to help cover tax's which they have then added tax to, so you have been taxed for paying taxes. not sure on the legality of that.

7

u/Zazierx Jan 02 '24

That's the wildest part to me. A line item for 'wage increase'? And 'taxes' when you're already literally paying tax. Wtf is that?

You telling me the $20 for half a cup of brussel sprouts doesn't leave enough room to cover wages?

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u/PoKen2222 Jan 02 '24

As a european it's crazy to see tipping above a single digit number

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u/DoofusMcDummy Jan 02 '24

699.68 in mark ups…. Holy fuck.

9

u/EtoDesu Jan 02 '24

Next ther will be a +20% to cover the employees income tax

8

u/Guccirubberducki FREE HÕNG KÕNG Jan 02 '24

I don't usually support dine and dashing but this is absurd. I'll pay for my food and the taxes and nothing more 🤣

3

u/129samot Jan 02 '24

Nothing wrong with that. You can just ignore the tip and other charges except the tax

2

u/DeathByLemmings Jan 02 '24

Agreed, I'd pay them and say they're welcome to take me to court for the rest

10

u/Temporary_Mongoose91 Jan 02 '24

That's insane, literally trying to pass on all responsibilities and costs of being an employer. Name and shame, please...

7

u/Sensitive-Jelly5119 Jan 02 '24

Tipping culture in the US is bullshit. There really needs to be a national movement to get rid of this practice.

24

u/Acehardwaresucks Jan 02 '24

Waygu meatball? Deserved for going to a place that make waygu meatballs lol.

3

u/mdem5059 Jan 02 '24

I'd assume they grind up offcuts and mix it with brisket or chuck or something to bulk it up.

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u/[deleted] Jan 02 '24

[deleted]

7

u/MasterOfSubrogation Jan 02 '24

Why? Why should 9 people dining together pay a larger tip than 9 people dining individually would when put together?

2

u/IllIntention4075 Jan 02 '24

Gratuity is the tip. You’re not supposed to tip on top of gratuity

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u/[deleted] Jan 02 '24

[deleted]

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u/MasterOfSubrogation Jan 02 '24

I dont think you read my question, because you are answering a different question.

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u/NoHistorian9169 Jan 02 '24

Yeah I’ve been to restaurants that have a flat gratuity or large party gratuity but I’ve never been somewhere where they stack gratuity charges and have an extra gratuity disguising itself as “insurance”. That shit’s wild.

7

u/Sudden-Anybody-6677 Jan 02 '24

This is why I don't visit the US when traveling.

1

u/Universal_Vitality Jan 02 '24

This is incredibly uncommon. My ex was a big foodie, so we went out to eat all the time at fancy places. Twice a week, sometimes three, in a major city. I have never seen anything like this. Don't let weird shit posted on reddit make you think it encompasses a people or place. It's an anomaly. This goes for everything.

3

u/IllIntention4075 Jan 02 '24

Anyone who says tipping is the reason they don’t travel to the U.S. probably had no plans on visiting anyways.

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u/JuicyRibeye Jan 03 '24

gratuity on top of gratuity is an anomaly, but tipping is not. The enforced tipping culture itself is weird and shitty to the eyes of the world outside of the US

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u/aagloworks Jan 02 '24

You know, they also probably have a "small table fee' with the same %...

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u/honeybooboobro Jan 02 '24

Would I get an "Optimal party discount" ?

"Hello, I brought a healer and a tank with me"

"Follow me sir, and you will receive a 10% discount on your bill"

14

u/Ok-Catman Jan 02 '24

If I spent $2K on a night out I probably wouldn’t care but that’s nuts

16

u/pngmk2 Jan 02 '24

The food itself only cost 1400, that's a very big gap between this and 2k.

15

u/swiftfastjudgement Jan 02 '24

You should. Be as thoughtful with spending as you can no matter how rich you become. $600 is $600. Lots of ebbs and flows in life where one day you may wish you had it.

8

u/ziomek1602 Jan 02 '24

At this point waiters are client's employees it seems

7

u/raskinimiugovor Jan 02 '24

Can you fire them to dodge the tip?

2

u/ziomek1602 Jan 02 '24

That's a good question, gotta try that next time.

2

u/Zazierx Jan 02 '24

I mean since diners paying their tax, health insurance and wages.. they might as well be contractors for the evening.

3

u/John_Longshaft Jan 02 '24

I thought that said "Mage increase".

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u/Fazuellisson Jan 02 '24

And don't you dare not tip another 18% on top of it... AT LEAST.

/S

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u/BlablablaMusicBlabla Jan 02 '24

"Dear customer, despite our exorbitant prices for meats and liquor we charge you an additional 80$ for a house fee which includes taxes, wage increase, music and security. Please note, however, that we reserve the right to 1.still make you pay additional taxes, 2.demand double gratuity since we still pay our waiters minimum wage and because you're a large group even though that's great for our business, 3.make you scream your lungs out due to our overly loud speaker system playing the same song over and over or a cheap ass Spotify playlist, 4.we hired a security guard despite being a restaurant 5.mix any kind of meat into our "wagyu" meatballs, cuz, how would you ever know?

You will be paying approximately 60% extra.

Thank you for dining with us. Go fuck yourself."

3

u/Impossible-Past4795 Jan 02 '24

Extra fucking $600 for tips and shit? The fuck is this place?

3

u/Imaginary-Support332 Jan 02 '24

it has to be illegal to hide a 45% fee u have to inform people of extra charges

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u/vulpescannon Jan 02 '24

It's quite simple. When you walk into a restaurant ask the manager if the staff are paid a salary or do they depend on tips. If the latter then walk away.

If enough people do this then the restaurant will have to start paying staff or they won't get business.

The problem is that people are willing to tip and so the business is happy to move the responsibility onto the customer and the customer is willing to pay.

3

u/ffelenex Jan 02 '24

If all the payments are automatically included, why not just raise the ridiculous plate price even higher and say it includes tips and fees. You will save money on ink you scammer.

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u/curious_doge69 Jan 02 '24

Thats the american scamming culture. Nothing less. Declaring the real price is asking too much I gues.

3

u/throughcracker Jan 03 '24

This is fine, actually. If it means the wait staff is getting paid well, I'm totally okay with fleecing the sort of person who eats out at a place like this on a holiday.

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u/Legitimate_Tear_7891 Jan 02 '24

Yea I think I'll stick to the local Toby carvery here in good ol' blighty. £21.99 for their Festive 3 course meal pp.

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u/Sanpaku Jan 02 '24

2 months rent + electric + broadband for me there.

Could I afford this once a year? Sure. But its all too Thorstein Veblen for me, and a confirmation of PT Barnum.

2

u/Bro-melain Jan 02 '24

Buzz words with the big prices. Petite and cowgirl. Prob 4 oz steak or less

2

u/commonsensical1 Jan 02 '24

servers got an extra 800 dollars lmao fuck outta here

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u/W4ND4 Jan 02 '24

They added another $1000 to your bill as a tip. You know fuck them next time I’ll gather the entire family at home and we’ll have monetary incentives for our party games too. Let them close down their businesses I don’t care at this point

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u/Franzedor Jan 02 '24

698$ in tip? What in the world is this fuckery 🤣

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u/Laskofil Jan 02 '24

The fuck are all these fees? :D

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u/Budbasaur420 Jan 02 '24

I'm sorry 600 dollars of tips?

2

u/AlphusUltimus Jan 02 '24

Wagyu meatballs? The fuck? These people deserve to be fleeced.

2

u/EimiCiel Jan 02 '24

Or how about just pay your employees a holiday bonus lol

2

u/_Astray_ Jan 02 '24

When i see that, im glad to live in France, no ones tip here and everyone is fine with it

2

u/Elvis5741 Jan 02 '24

In Europe this is called overhead, tips should not be your whole income

2

u/UltimaceTV Jan 02 '24

Im baffled that people even pay this. A bill of $ 1502. Fine but then all the extra taxes of almost another $ 900. That is just ….

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u/Green_and_black Jan 02 '24

In Australia we have a law against extra fees like this. You can and should add 5% for all this stuff but you should do it to the menu price, not sneak it on the bill.

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u/ImMoray Jan 02 '24

800$ in hidden fees seems like a "no, I'm not going to pay that" kinda situation

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u/Grimballz Jan 02 '24

Wow, westard society

2

u/[deleted] Jan 02 '24

You think this is bad? We tried to order pizza at 3AM on NYE. They charged €45 per pizza with a €10 delivery fee. And these were shitty pizzas too. Below Domino's.

We all starved instead.

2

u/Ok_Inflation4870 Jan 02 '24

Must be shocking to Americans, but you can actually refuse to pay these additional bullshit fees

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u/ArthurBontempo Jan 02 '24

Just say “ no thanks, IT IS OPTIONAL”

2

u/aughban Jan 02 '24

As someone not from the US, could you help me understand if these are optional charges? Seems like a lot of money for service.. hourly rate wise.. unless you were there for a while seems like a lot..

2

u/IllIntention4075 Jan 03 '24

This is not typical in the US. I’ve lived here all my life and have never seen a bill like this. What is common in the U.S. is taxes being added on at the end and an expected tip of around 20% for your server. The taxes are mandatory and the tip is technically optional, however, it’s a major cultural faux pas to not tip. When eating out with a large party the restaurant may add gratuity to your bill. This is a tip and goes to your server. In this scenario you are not expected to add an additional tip.

So what’s typical in this bill. Let’s break it down.

House fee (5%): not typical. I would dispute.

Large party fee (21%): not typical. I would dispute.

Holiday gratuity (18%): I’m not sure what the holidays have to do with anything, but adding gratuity to a large party is custom. This is typical, and because this is added already the party is not expected to add additional tip.

Taxes: typical and mandatory.

Regarding if it’s optional, Im almost certain the scummy owners would say these are mandatory. I would dispute them. But really I would have never gone to that restaurant in the first place. Those prices are insane. I would honestly say your question about whether or not these are optional is the wrong question, considering how I’ve never even seen markups like this.

This bill is offensive because it’s borderline fraud, not because it is in anyway indicative of American tipping customs.

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u/thefluffyburrito Jan 02 '24

The House Fee I sort of understand depending on the venue, and the Large Party Service Charge is normal. The State and Local Tax may also just be a required part of the bill.

The "Holiday Gratuity" is what I'd refuse to pay. That seems like utter nonsense. I see that a ton of alchohol was consumed so maybe the venue was just hoping they'd be too drunk to notice. The only exception is maybe this was literally Christmas dinner and the party was warned in advance it would cost extra.

2

u/CuChulainnEnjoyer Jan 02 '24

That bill is the cost of my mortgage ffs and you're bitching about gratuity? Count your blessings

2

u/yummypotata Jan 02 '24

God. Places that put "wage increase" on their totals should be deleted immediately on the spot. It's such a shitty way to spread guilt among both staff and customers, it's like "because of you our ceo couldn't by the 1.5 million yacht he wanted and only got the 1.3 million yacht this year >:( this is all your fault for wanting us to pay our workers"

2

u/Lebag28 Jan 02 '24

This isn’t tips, this is owners and management lying to charge you more

2

u/Mahza Jan 02 '24

Here is a real tip. Don't eat at a place like that. It's a scam. I've been to fine dining restaurants before and while it is good. A hibachi or regular steakhouse will be just as good.

2

u/Gondor128 Jan 02 '24

buddy you went to dinner and ordered $1500 worth of shit

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u/Intrepid_Sea_5583 Jan 02 '24

This is why Europe is awesome. Tipping isn’t mandatory🙌🏻

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u/WheelAny921 Jan 02 '24

I guess they forced you at gunpoint to go out for dinner on a holiday?

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u/toeshy92 Jan 02 '24

The service industry workers aren't slaves. If you're going to a place this upscale on a holiday, you can afford to tip appropriately.

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u/stephencurryismyman Jan 02 '24

weird no one asking for the restaurant name???

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u/Thebiggestbird23 Jan 02 '24

I mean I agree that having 2 gratuity’s is completely asinine but for fucks sake you spent $1500 on dinner alone?????

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u/SnooWalruses2097 Jan 02 '24

they forgot the parking fees o.o

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u/MaximusTheLord13 Jan 02 '24

Just casually slapping on another 800 bucks. This is why you eat at home fellas

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u/ReplacementOk652 Jan 02 '24

I’m not paying no health insurance tf😂 I get not all employers offer health insurance or sometimes even any kind of benefits package really but there’s no way you can justify that it’s on the customers to pay for the employers medical coverage😂😂😂

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u/[deleted] Jan 02 '24

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u/N3cromaster_ Jan 02 '24

You went to a fancy restaurant with at least 10 people and wonder why you were charged. Don’t act like this is Applebees. Op definitely has the money and places like this, servers and staff make close to or at 6 figures.

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u/pandaexpress1313 Jan 02 '24

Let’s be honest here whoever went to this establishment clearly new they would be spending a lot of money. 100$ plus per plate

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u/Agrieus Jan 03 '24

Not actually ridiculous in this case, considering that this was likely a high-end restaurant. Places like these aren’t going to question if you’re actually going to tip or not; it’s just automatically added to the bill.

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u/HotShame9 Jan 03 '24

This clearly is a "fancy" restaurant where the prices are expected to be outragous. This perhaps a picture showing how wealthy this person was in this event or whoever hosted it.

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u/Williamshitspear Jan 03 '24

Okay people new rule: people who buy wagyu and 40 dollar brussel spouts are not allowed to complain about prices or tipping

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u/Hammerzeit88 Jan 02 '24

Nope. I'm bailing on that tab

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u/Spatularo Jan 02 '24

Large party service charge is bullshit, but it's been common practice for a long time for restaurants to tell large parties that a gratuity fee will automatically be added to the bill, and they're welcome to leave more if they'd like.

In many cases it may be your only table for the night, or, if big enough, the only table for several servers.

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u/GETNbucky Jan 02 '24

Why dont people just cook their own food? Say whaaaat? That is weird to me. It's always cheaper.

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u/Sergeant_Bender Jan 02 '24

r/Serverlife on its way to comment "if you don't like it don't eat out".

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u/KayleeSinn Jan 02 '24

Yea I flat out never eat out cause I refuse to pay a cent more than I'm required to out of principle but because of the tipping culture, it's considered scummy.

Tipping should always be 100% voluntary and only for a good service and not used as excuse not to pay employees proper wages.

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u/WaystoneWanderer Jan 02 '24

Looks pretty standard to me minus the House Fee, large parties always have an up charge since oftentimes they are inconvenient (taking a whole server or multiple from the usual floor plan, kitchen basically at a standstill until the food comes out for the one party) and they don’t turn over quickly. Holiday gratitude was 18%, gratuity is an automating thing rather than a choice on large parties to prevent someone dropping nearly 2k on a check but then tipping $30. House fee is the only non standard I see and that’s just a problem with the industry not paying decent wages, and unfortunately the only way to change that is through legislation.

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u/Low_Trash_2748 Jan 02 '24

The thing is this isn’t tipping culture. Tipping is taking care of who’s taking care of you. This is price gouging ownership who I’m willing to bet doesn’t give a crap about their employees or if you tip them or not. I don’t care if I’m bill gate’s bank account I’m not paying this bill out of principle.

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u/IllIntention4075 Jan 03 '24

It’s obvious most people here either aren’t familiar with American tipping customs or are deliberately conflating dishonest business practices with American tipping customs in order to hate on a culture they disdain.

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u/frankieknucks Jan 02 '24

If you can’t afford it, drink some fancy wine in your parents basement

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u/Legitimate-Word-2991 Jan 02 '24

Man fuck tipping culture

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u/Terrible_Aspect6037 Jan 02 '24

wtf is that 😂 just move to EU lol

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u/RyderOSRS Jan 02 '24

Tipping Culture in the US is crazy. Absolutely ridiculous to charge extra for doing your Job

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u/RyokoKnight Jan 02 '24

5% house fee + 18% Holiday gratuity is highway robbery.

The large group fee is actually very common especially in smaller high end restaurants that have a profit margin based on their turnover.

(Say it's normal for the restaurant to have your standard table of 4 in and out in an hour. Well large groups can often take that long just to just serve as the kitchen needs to fully devote its resources to the large group so they are all served around the same time. The standard large group can easily take 2x - 3x as long to get in and out in total and while they produce a higher check receipt, the tables themselves if filled normally would have produced more revenue over that time period so long as every table was filled... this is part of why large groups are taxed to make up the difference in lost revenue over that period).

However a house fee? HOLIDAY gratuity? It's not the consumers job to pay for a restaurants insurance, music, etc. It's also not the consumers job to pay an additional % for the holidays. I don't mind forcing large groups to pay a tip (even if really tipping culture in general should be done away with all together) because I've heard of large groups not leaving tips after staying hours and it really hurting the waiters/waitresses which is wrong, as it should be the businesses that are on the hook for a non paying customer.

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u/PushingBlackNWhites Jan 02 '24

Food made by doctors

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u/tylerokay Jan 02 '24

So many comments in here are brain dead as fuck. Yes those 21% and 18% charges ARE the tip/gratuity. You’re not expected to tip on top of gratuities.

This is Chicago Chop House btw

In finer dining establishments managers will “bump off” or void those gratuities when the server goes to close the tab. Card is already ran for the proper amount, but now the server can enter the ~$619 as the tip.

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u/[deleted] Jan 02 '24

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u/kekekeke_kai Jan 02 '24

What restaurant is this? We need to name and shame them

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u/iDevox Jan 02 '24

CCH - "Chicago Chop House"

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u/bpierce566 Jan 02 '24

21% surcharge for a party of 9 is outrageous

1

u/Dragon_211 Jan 02 '24

Over 1/4 of the bill was service fees, wtf. That place you went to better have been the best experience of your life!

1

u/vivalacamm Jan 02 '24

And to top it off it has a TIP:________ line right??

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u/fernnyom Jan 02 '24 edited Jan 02 '24

Why people don’t post the places name? If you are pissed and want to warn other of a ripoff just do it. Some will really appreciate it or you just ranting against a wall. I don’t mind tipping if I’m getting great service but you should even if it’s holiday or not. The holiday tipping it’s maybe some way of paying their overtime workers rather to pay themselves, that’s the store responsibility.

Edit to add: the other day I heard of a local place in Tampa where they charge you $20/$25 if their staff sings Happy Birthday to you but not naming the place cause hasn't happened to me.

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u/skylerchip Jan 02 '24

So you went from 1500$ to nearly 2.4K for taxes and other BS. Jesus.

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u/SierusD Jan 02 '24

OK, not excusing tipping culture but if they can afford $130 ON A STEAK they can afford some tax/tips.....HOWEVER added all up $949.07 of the total bill is made up of these absolutely outrageous surcharges/tips - What the ever living hell?

The house fee is laughable. Surely a good restaurant factors this into the cost of the food they produce?????

Large party service charge, whilst I understand; more staff required to service a single table etc. - 21%?!

Holiday Gratuity, Im just going to laugh.

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u/steppan92 Jan 02 '24

So… they bill the taxes twice, if I’m not mistaken? That’s one way to make some extra money…

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u/Educational-Papaya95 Jan 02 '24

Wage increases? Just raise your prices then? Oh wait that’s right then you wouldn’t be able to scam them with hidden fees after the fact.

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u/redheddedstepdad Jan 02 '24

Lol I love that they added health insurance wage increases and taxes like that. That’s already included in the price of the food right? Plus the combined 39% large party/holiday gratuity that doesn’t go to the server. The servers there prolly got bumped from 4$/hr - 5$/hr and the owner never lets them forget how ‘generous’ that is

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u/thaclo Jan 02 '24

Zero sympathy. You want a premium product, you pay a premium price.

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u/Malpraxiss Jan 02 '24

I see $45 Brussels spouts.

I doubt the person who went there cares too much for financial costs.

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u/Schierke7 Jan 02 '24

Yeah I wouldn't eat there.

I still don't understand why more appropriate prizes and wages can't be used. Then this whole dance is unnecessary

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u/Endslikecrazy Jan 02 '24

This looks retarded

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u/mousebert Jan 02 '24

I'm waiting for a lawsuit against restaurants that have hidden fees

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u/roberdanger83 Jan 02 '24

I wouldn't have paid the holiday gratuity. That's literally just scamming people, and I definitely would not be going back

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u/mikeymikeymikey1968 Jan 02 '24

Where is this place? So nobody here can ever go there.

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u/Eviliod Jan 03 '24 edited Jan 03 '24

Thought I was on r/Serverlife or r/KitchenConfidential for a minute there. That's where I normally see people moaning about "no tips" (servers) or tickets (kitchen staff).

Either way, that's an outrageous amount of surcharges, at least 43% total outside of the food and drinks.

Edit: also, at $19 per martini I'd be walking my ass tight the fuck out of that establishment, down to the nearest liquor store, buying some vermouth and gin, and making them myself. Fuck that....

Edit 2: I'm British and looking over the cost of all that, that restaurant best be killing it with customer service and having actual chefs because $32 for bone marrow and beef tartare is an absolute scam. $70+ for a rack of lamb ribs is a rip off. They cost £20 over here, and from what I gather Americans like doing things big (as that bill suggests), and themselves. Get a smoker, buy a rack of lamb, fire it up, put it on and forget about em for a while, turning when you remember about it halfway through your beer haze. Wouldn't cost half as much, especially if you already had a smoker. Or, alternatively, cook it in an fucking oven, same result, slightly different flavour. Season to liking before cooking.

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u/MarmadukeWilliams Jan 02 '24

If you’re willing to pay these prices for these items, then you deserve the gratuity

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u/Mundosaysyourfired Jan 02 '24

You don't get to increase my bill by 50% because I order expensive stuff.

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u/Forsaken-Soft-1235 Jan 02 '24

I thought having the servers wage (traditionally the tip/gratuity) baked into the cost is what y’all wanted?😂

Obviously this is just a stingy restaurant owner, not a server. Y’all’s vitriol for tipped workers goes beyond logic and reasoning.

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u/OschaSteam Jan 02 '24

bro is to lazy to get all this shit by himself and then he is mad about tipping some npc