Restaurant "Forced" Us to Order Extra Main Course - Was This Fair and Reasonable?

I wanted to socialise an experience we had last night to determine if my opinion was reasonable or not.

So three of us in total went out to a local restaurant last night. We ordered a bottle of wine to drink while we decided what food to order. Since we all agreed that we were not all super hungry, we decided to order a main course which was designed to be for two people according to the menu. It was our intention that the three of us would share it. When the waiter was taking our order, he said that because that main course we asked for was just for two people we HAD to order another main course because there were three of us. We explained that all we wanted to do was share that one main course order among the three of us. He said they could not do that.

To avoid "embarrassment" (which we later regretted) we capitulated and ordered another main course. In hindsight, we regret just not walking out in disgust. In the end, we had left over food as we could not eat it all! Note also that the restaurant did not mind us "sharing" the bottle of wine!!

So, I would just like to gauge your opinion as to whether the restaurant's "policy" was fair and reasonable and that WE were out of order. Poll below, thanks for reading.

Poll Options

  • 867
    NO, the restaurant was out of line demanding we order the equivalent of three main courses.
  • 189
    YES, the restaurant was within its rights to refuse us sharing only one main meal designed for two.

Comments

    • +2

      you were not paying attention as you read. The meal was for TWO people, not one as you allege!

      • +1

        Maybe they could have moved you to a table for 2. And your party of 3 could take turns on the 2 chairs.

  • +1

    Ask for a kid or pensioner plate!
    Next time, walk in with your club of 30 and all share a free bottle of water!

    • +1

      In my experience, most restaurants will not serve you a child's meal if you are an adult.

      • My wife is now over 60 and has no grey hair yet. She got thrown off the bus for looking too young! If they refuse a pensioner model then run!!!

  • +1

    Some restaurants have it written on the menu that all diners must order a main or similar. I would hope this restaurant did have that written on the menu if they had that rule. But yeah, walking out would probably be a good idea if you didn't agree with it. Just sucks that you already ordered the wine and would need to finish it quickly.

  • +2

    Best way to socialized without having to pay is either at your own place or at the park. I don't think the restaurant was unreasonnable as the table you took could have been filled by other guests who will most likely consumed and pay their part.. i have 2 young kids, and even if my kids don't eat a lot i always make sure to either order from the kids menu for them or order a big main for them to share.

  • Depends how busy the restaurant is. I'd never do this if it was packed.

  • +1

    Never tolerate these silly games.

    When something like this happens just say be firm and say no. If they insist then just get up and leave.

    You are the customer.

  • +3

    The poll is poorly worded btw

    The restaurant is out of line doing this, but also within its rights.

  • +1

    Not outrageous. You made a booking for 3, they would expect you to order for 3. Moreover on a Saturday night. They are a business at the end.

    Instead if ordering another main dish you could have order an entree and be done with it.

    I have walked out of restaurants (as a walk in -not booking) if I dont like something about it. I haven't walked out in a booking because I usually do my research prior to make a booking.

  • +2

    You're both unreasonable.

    Also, why go to a restaurant if you're not hungry. You're just costing them money if they are busy. Go to a bar or something instead.

    • -1

      You weren't paying attention while reading! I said we were not "super hungry", not just "hungry"!

      • +4

        If you're sharing a dish for 2 between 3 people, you're not hungry.

        • -7

          again…….we never said we were hungry, we only said we were not SUPER HUNGRY - why can't a person be still hungry but not SUPER HUNGRY - King's English!!

          • +1

            @GOCAT9: If you're sharing a dish for 2 between 3 people, you're not hungry.

          • +3

            @GOCAT9: Not only do we have to do with endless super heroes in all our movies, now we have to deal with super hungries.

  • If half the tables are empty are they still going to have this policy? Some restaurants will offer half size mains as an option on the menu.

    • They not going to know at 5PM if they’re going to be full an hour later, but they have to have enough staff on and food prepped for the number of meals they can reasonably expect to be ordered by looking at bookings. There’s likely extra food waste if people order much less than average, and average is more than 1 main per person.

  • +2

    In some states (eg WA), there are some particular liquor licenses for restaurants that if you are drinking alcohol, then you must order a substantial meal to accompany that alcholol.

    • If the waiter was acting from some sort of 'responsible service of alcohol' mindset that they had been taught or were instructed to enforce, they would have said that. If this is not a 'joke/troll' post, then what happened at the restaurant was ridiculous in the extreme. What is the name/location of this restaurant OP? I'd like to ring them up and verify that this is indeed their policy. Somehow, I doubt that it is. Surely this is some sort of joke post? Currently restaurants are falling over themselves to attract anyone at all; let alone those that pay the inflated prices restaurants charge to sell patrons a bottle of wine …

  • +5

    Reminds me of the scene from Afterlife

    I would have 100% walked out on them. They're essentially encouraging food waste / force feed yourself with amounts you don't need.

    • The restaurant would have already bought the food based on bookings, and OP’s party took home the extra. There would be more food waste if they didn’t have the policy.

      People absolutely can and should leave if they don’t agree with conditions, but shouldn’t be surprised if they’re not given a table again.

  • Why didn't u just say the 3rd person wasn't eating?

    • Agreed…..we could have, but should we have had to. That's the point.

  • +1

    It's just possible that a condition of their byo licence is that each person consuming liquor must eat. Did you check the reason?

    • Well no….. don't you think that if there WAS a reason or policy, then the restaurant would have told us!! If there was, it should have been up to the restaurant to tell us. Isn't that reasonable?

  • +2

    I’m fine with restaurants or bar set a minimum spending for a table, but it should be clearly communicated before customers sitting down. Don’t force them to order more food, maybe they’d rather spend on more wine or better wine.
    And also while businesses are allowed to set their own rules, we shouldn’t be fine with the stupid ones, legal is just the minimum requirements. If all businesses are okay with just legal it would be very bad experience.

    • They did while ordering which is pretty normal? Customers aren’t going to read signs, and it’s a waste of everyone else’s time to be told what’s a really common policy 99% don’t need to know.

      It’s also possible depending on where they are that legally a substantial meal is required to be ordered per customer due to the liquor license.

      The booking a table on a Saturday and thinking a restaurant would be ok with people eating less than half the average is the stupid thing.

  • +8

    Thankfully KFC never had a problem with me ordering the Dinner for Two…..for one. 😆

  • Look and ask around for a restaurant that do not use these tactics, then show your support by dining there as often as you are able.

    Positive reinforcement works

    • It’s a good way to get that restaurant to introduce that rule or go out of business. Ordering 1 meal for 3 people is a customer most restaurants would be more profitable without.

  • +2

    Op, mind sharing the name of the restaurant? If not, then maybe the type of restaurant? Eg: pub, canton hk style restaurant, fine dining, izakaya, etc.

    • Probably 9 out of 10 fine dining restaurants have this rule, while a pub won’t. In some states 10/10 restaurants will have this rule because of liquor licensing requirements, while pubs likely have a liquor license that allows them to serve alcohol without food (though sometimes with mandated live entertainment at periods, oddly).

  • +3

    You didn't lose much, only one dish and you manage to take away it. Maybe even split the cost between your friends.
    Life is too short to be worrying about small things like this.

    It's been very hard for small businesses in the past 2 years, so it's their business decision.
    If you don't agree with it, just don't go back.

    They have the right, and you agreed to it, so move on.

  • +1

    Can see both sides of the story, id feel guilty taking up a spot and sharing a small amount between 3 people. Depends on the restaurant. If it was maccas or HJ's obviously dont really care but somwhere nicer id feel embarrassed.

  • In NSW:

    The primary purpose of restaurants, cafés and other similar venues when operating under this licence type must at all times be the business of preparing and serving meals to the public, including genuine meals consumed by a person at a dining table.

    https://www.liquorandgaming.nsw.gov.au/operating-a-business/…

    • -1

      The primary purpose is not policy or law. Even if everyone needs a main meal in a restaurant, it's simply business policy, is it a good business policy? IMO no but forcing a main meal on diners is quite unethical.

      Sometimes I go to restaurants to try their dessert, if they tell me to order a main meal before dessert, I'll leave.

      • +1

        In WA If you order wine and desert they’ll tell you to leave, because yes, their liquor license likely depends on it. But in NSW you’re right that primary purpose doesn’t seem to care what one customer of a group does as long as most don’t.

  • It was a reasonable request for reasons that other have already pointed out. You could have tried asking if you could instead add 2-3 extra entrees or deserts to the order instead of another main. That way they get the money they expect from a group of 3, you get to experience more of their menu and you don’t have to stuff yourself.

  • To avoid "embarrassment"

    Too late for that after those poll 'options'

    Hope the 'results' make you feel better

  • +1

    I'm waiting for OP to tell us it was also a children's main meal they wanted to share, I'm sure they asked if they could cut the dino nuggets equally & count the chips out so they all didn't have to fight over someone cutting them unfairly.

    The secondhand embarrassment on this is huge, who goes out to a restaurant on a weekend and does that? I guess those who've also never worked any service jobs and don't understand social norms.

    • +3

      There is nothing wrong with someone not eating when going to a restaurant. They may simply want to have a conversation with wine, nothing wrong with sharing a plate either.

      • +1

        There is EVERYTHING wrong with not eating when you are occupying a seat that other people are queuing for a meal.

    • It was a normal main course, cost was $70. In my experience if you try and order a children's meal restaurants will refuse if you are an adult.

  • Just go to Maccas. You can sit there all day without ordering anything.

    • can you drink wine in Maccas?

  • +2

    Seems very rude. Should have walked away. They accommodate 1person with 1 serving on a table of 4 but won't accommodate 3 person with 2 serving on the same table.

    • -1

      Try booking a table for 1 at a lot of places and see how far you get. They also have tables for 2 usually.

      • Actually, as someone who eats by themselves a lot, a lot of places are happy to take bookings for solo diners, even if you can't book it online e.g. have to call or e-mail to book

  • Firstly "socialise an experience". That was unique.

    Think of it this way. An eatery has X number of tables. Imagine if all diner's decided to share their meal between 3 people every day, every booking, every walk in. That eatery would go out of business very quickly.

    Don't be discusted be understanding.

    • given the restaurant was never full, which of those two options would they make more money - allowing us to share or allowing us to walk out?

      • Doesn't matter. Waiting on three people, the time taken up by staff and the dishes etc. All for the price of one meal. Also think of the precedent set for other customers. No shop owner wants this.

        If you think you are doing the shop a favour why did they reject your offer?

    • I'm not seeing how there is much, if any, difference to if 2 people walked into the restaurant and ordered the shared meal for 2 - as it was designed.

      The additional costs are cleaning a plate and cutlery, possibly the opportunity cost of a 3 -4 person table being used instead of a 2 person table. OP pulled a bad move if the place was at capacity and they're unable to seat people.

      Question - if a single person entered the restaurant, must the one person buy 2 meals because they're denying the restaurant the opportunity to sell 2 meals?

  • +3

    Three blokes splitting a bottle of cheap wine and intending to share a single main meal as you’ve all declared you’re just a little bit hungry on a prime Saturday night.. cmon.

    Pick a more suitable place for your gossip. 🙂

  • +1

    So you want to go to a restaurant with 2 other adults and sit and share 1 main between the 3 of you because "you're not hungry" and would rather drink alcohol?

    How do you all intend on eating from that 1 plate?

    Isnt that what a bar is for?

  • +1

    Sounds like you need to hop onto Google review and warn the rest of us plebs out there.

  • Go to a bar and order drinks and the grazing food. Restaurants have had to struggle through covid and don't have to deal with your cheapness as well. No sympathy here.

  • +3

    Restaurants during covid: Please support us were going bankrupt!

    Restaurants after covid: you will sit where we tell you to sit, and you will eat what we tell you to eat. Or die.

    Op: ohkay.

  • +1

    I had a similar experience in a restaurant about 10 years ago and interestingly it's in Box Hill (Vic) as well.

    A popular small restaurant, we have about 8 young adults, 6 girls 2 boys from memory, we order some "main dish" and some entree (there entree seems very yummy so we decide to do it that way), after ordering the waiter said we need to either order "1 main dish per person" or "2 entree per person", this is their rule and if we did not order according to their rules, we need to walk away.

    Being the peak hour and it's hard to find another place for dinner. We ordered a bit more but we didn't managed to finish all the food (some girls are small eater)

    Not a very good experience so we decide we never go back to this restaurant even the food is yummy.

    • Sounds delicious (and reasonable).

      What's the name of the restaurant so I can visit?

  • +4

    What asshats are voting yes?

    Go back to whirlpool ya flogs.

    • The same pc crowd that need to run off to their 'safe spaces'

  • +2

    I'm not sure why you can't see the problem here. You've gone into a restaurant on a busy night, sat down at a table and only ordered one meal between three of you yet somehow in your mind that is acceptable behaviour just because it doesn't state anywhere on the menu that you can't do that.

    You realise that restaurants are there to make money for the people who own them right? Their entire profit model consists of them turning over the same table multiple times per night so they can pay their staff, suppliers, rent, utilities etc.

    Here's a suggestion for you - if you want to order one meal between three people then get it delivered on Uber Eats/Menulog.

  • +3

    "walking out in disgust"

    Lol, people are such special little entitled snowflakes these days.

  • +1

    both yes and no answers are correct

    The restaurant was within its rights to refuse you sharing only one main meal designed for two. There is no law, policy or rule that stops them from doing this..
    but at the same time of it being within their right, is it a frowned upon? is it bad for long term business? will it upset some patrons? yes as well.

    It's 1 of those things that although it doesn't feel right, it's still within their right.

    IMO, if most tables were full and there were patrons waiting….i see where the restaurant is getting at,those seats could have potentially gone towards other patrons that will pay for a meal each.

    What many people don't understand about restaurants is that their are more costs than justT the food, i.e…..you're also renting that space off of them, the chair, the ambiance, the staff's hospitality etc….it's all just inclusive into the food cost. So when you are taking 3 seats and only paying for meals for 2, it's like you are getting the 3rd seat free.

    Yes, i know my opinion will be unpopular, but i'm just trying to see both sides of this.

  • Just reading such a divided amount of comments, it's quite clear there's a combination of entitled people and people who understand the system.

    Humans take a lot of things for granted. To be able to be in this country this good food choices as such. But everything comes at a price, and that's just the way the country is.

    I think a lot of people never think about just how much it takes to run a business. Yes of course the argument of, well you chose that path, you decided to do this, etc etc. But I mean same thing can be said if no one decided to be a restaurant owner, and there are no restaurants. Would you be happy that there be no choices anymore?

    Although it's quite common that restaurants have a minimum spend per head, I guess maybe it really would be beneficial to print it somewhere on the front or the menu. But as a lot of people have stated this is quite common, I guess for people whom have either worked at a restaurant, or have dined out often.

    Anyways for the OP, lesson learnt, and an experience. Next time just ask if there's a minimum spend before ordering anything, even wine, just say you're only a little hungry and won't be eating be ordering too much, then if it's a clear no, thank them, and then leave.

  • So far, 631 votes for no.
    151 votes for yes

    The cheapskateness of OZBargainers shouldn't surprise me, yet it never fails to.

  • It's becoming ridiculous. I went to a restaurant just last night and the waiter forced us to pay the price they had set on the menu and I couldn't just give them whatever I felt like.

    What is this world coming to when businesses can simply dictate the terms of their sale and we have to abide by them or go elsewhere.

    Total madness.

    • Yeah and to think these 3 people went to a restaurant and actually had leftovers… Won't somebody please think of the starving African children. How will they ever recover from that traumatic experience of having to ask for a container to take away the extra food that their 3 tiny baby bird stomachs could not eat, already bloated like the previous starving African children, but not due to malnutrition. Somehow this is Donald Trumps fault, the Nazi dictator forced this policy onto them from across the globe.

  • +2

    I think their request is borderline at best.

    Businesses like that are struggling at the moment, cost of produce has skyrocketed and 3 people sharing a meal is a bit annoying.

    HOWEVER, it isn't like you ordered a single meal and shared it 3 ways. It was a 2 person meal and wine so I think they're out of order.

    What a good restaurant would have done is made you feel welcome so you'd stay and drink and maybe order more later as you got hungry.

    The restaurants with awful attitudes quickly get a bad rep and never last.

  • +3

    Have a similar story,
    Four of us went to a restaurant, 3 ordered adult meals but the fourth adult person has to watch their weight and wanted a child portion
    Restaurant refused even although it was on the menu, so we walked out.
    Crazy when they complain about covid affecting them, and by the way they werent busy

  • You weren't "forced", but told by the restaurant that they did not accept the way you were intending on doing business with them. Here's another view to consider if you're feeling mistreated after-the-fact.
    You have helped a restaurant stay afloat after 2 years of horrible business conditions where many retailers/hospitality providers simply didn't survive.

    There are many comments here that agree with the restaurant that it's poor form to go on what is one of the only money-making nights of the week and trying to order a meal for 2 to be shared by 3, likely on a table for 4.
    You could have made a point and left if you disagreed but you didn't, so look at it as having done a good deed for a local business. Well done. Now you need to move on and not dwell on it!

    • +2

      agreed, but its not as if we were taking a table from a group of people who were going to order more than us. There were just not that many people. In future, if that's the way they want to conduct their business, then so be it - we will just leave them to it and wish them good luck!

  • +2

    I wonder how they would react if you said: Fine, in that case, we are not ordering anything. We will finish our wine and leave, and you would have spent another hour drinking your wine there while not eating anything.

    They cannot forcefully kick you out, and they would have to call the police to escort you. What would they tell them? Eh, we have clients here who didn't order food, because we didn't allow them, and they are drinking only wine, and we don't want them here. Can you come to kick them out?

    • lol….another interesting social experiment!

      I'm not sure, but probably technically they could kick us out since we are on private property!

  • Why would you go to a restaurant if you couldn't manage one main each? Should have gone to a pub or a cafe.

    • -1

      can't wait for restaurants to quiz me on my hunger levels before letting you sit down lol

    • that's probably where it is going!!

  • Maximising immediate income is what most business's priorities are. Customer satisfaction, repeat custom and recommendations to others are usually not considered.

  • +1

    We had a issue with a similar pub with a noisy pokie room not far from the eating room, waiter escalated it to the floor manager who clearly only manages the bar as she was rough and raised her voice.
    Never been back.

  • -3

    Man I love telling people to get (profanity) sometimes - and this is a situation where I would have gone "Get (profanity), and let me order what I want to order, and also, your not invited to this dinner table, so get (profanity) twice" with a smile

  • I'm keen to know what kind of forceful measures they took to make you buy their food and not let you go elsewhere. Sounds illegal to me.

  • Liquor license.

  • +2
    • Table for 3 uses a 4 person table.
    • Peak period (Saturday night).
    • Restaurants are barely hanging on ATM, closures everywhere (at least in VIC) ~ COVID and staff shortages

    I know its Ozbargain, but really?

    Props to the waiter though, it was an unpleasant situation to initiate and so easy to turn a blind eye. They were looking out for the restaurant.

    • -2

      …..ok, then why doesn't the restaurant provide us with a three person table according to your argument. Or do you think you should only go to a restaurant with even numbers of people, lol.

      • Why should you get a 3 person table when you are 3 people not buying 3 mains ?

  • Give them a sob story saying you all work at a sausage factory and have saved hard for 8 years so all three of you can afford one shared main so you can experience the high life for a moment before you crawl back to your wretched existence.

    Make sure to dress in old working class clothing and don't shower at least 3 days before attending their venue.

  • With the way the price of everything is going up, a lot of restaurants will close soon, including the one op went to.

    The $0.20c fuel excise will end this month, the war in ukraine wont end anytime soon, people are already saying its too expensive to drive somewhere let alone pay $30 + for a single meal

    Then youll see all the entitled restaurants who gave you garbage customer service and overpriced food crying on news.com that theyve been hard done by and begging for customers to come back. Suck it.

  • -1

    I regard this as deadbeat behaviour where you and your friends were trying to take advantage of the business to save yourself some money.

  • It's one of those things…

  • Happens all the time at my work. Tables of women come in and order just entrees as mains. Once had 20 on a hens night just want to order half a dozen pizzas to share. And they did BYO. Its a hard thing to balance.

  • +1

    What Ricky Gervais would have done in After Life?

  • It’s tough about the wine.

    Hard to pay restaurant price for a bottle of wine and then just walk out.

    Would you have finished the wine in the restaurant or taken it with you.
    (Both scenarios most likely violates the restaurants liquor licence. I wonder how the restaurant would have dealt with that).

    Or, stop drinking it and not pay for it?

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