Refill of coffee in a cappuccino???

[samblau]

Ok, so this may be a bad way to introduce myself to this forum as a neurotic NYer....anyway, I had dinner with my folks in a very nice restaurant in Milford PA, the third or fourth time I have dined at this establishment and my parents are on a first name basis with the wonderful chef/owner. Along with my parents and brother we ordered several drinks (only my father and I drank hard drinks, martinis) salads and entrees (striped bass with a seafood stuffing and tomato coulis for me, fantastic), while we were already stuffed it was a sat night, my dad and I each ordered cappuccinos and the four of us shared two desserts. The cappuccinos came out several minutes before the desserts and at some point I asked if I could have a refill of plain coffee. At the end of the meal we had a check well in excess of $100. What struck me as odd was that the waitress charged me $2 on top of the $4.50 for the cappuccino for the coffee refill. I know from past experience that if I had ordered a $2 coffee in the first place the refill would have been gratis. I have no qualms with the $9 martini (they are huge) or the $4.50 cappuccino, they are indulgences which I accept at a place like that. Maybe I am expecting something for nothing, I just felt it waa a little chincy for the waitress to charge another $2 and call it restaurant poilicy on a tab that high. I have no doubt that the chef/owner would have taken it off if questioned and that staff is often times unable to make mgmt. type decisions that are seemigly insignificant. Nevertheless it has been on my mind. Any opinions?

 

[rzi]

I would not waste another moment of your life thinking about something of that importance.

She's just a waitress, not a professor

 

[rzi]

Also it's restaurant policy as you said, not her fault then.

 

[MrDaniels]

If she was a smart waitress she would not have charged you. Pretty petty of them (and this is speaking as a former waiter).

 

[amerikajinda]

I guess technically since they are two different drinks, she tallied the bill properly... i.e., you hadn't ordered a coffee originally (it was a cappuccino) and then after the cappuccino was finished you ordered another drink -- a cup of coffee, not a "coffee refill" (which I'm hoping she brought in a different cup) -- I feel that she did the proper thing by charging for the coffee... and after you finished that cup of coffee you would have been eligible for a free refill of coffee...

I think the facts that you'd been there a few times before, your parents are on a first-name basis with the owner, you were four people whose bill exceeded $100 -- are all irrelevant to her charging you for a cup of coffee that you ordered (regardless of whether you had just finished a cappuccino).

am I the only one who thinks this way?

 

[GQgeek]

Originally Posted by amerikajinda

I guess technically since they are two different drinks, she tallied the bill properly... i.e., you hadn't ordered a coffee originally (it was a cappuccino) and then after the cappuccino was finished you ordered another drink -- a cup of coffee, not a "coffee refill" (which I'm hoping she brought in a different cup) -- I feel that she did the proper thing by charging for the coffee... and after you finished that cup of coffee you would have been eligible for a free refill of coffee...

I think the facts that you'd been there a few times before, your parents are on a first-name basis with the owner, you were four people whose bill exceeded $100 -- are all irrelevant to her charging you for a cup of coffee that you ordered (regardless of whether you had just finished a cappuccino).

am I the only one who thinks this way?

No. I can't imagine ever being upset about a $2 cup of coffee.

 

[Britalian]

Cappuccio after dinner? You deserved it and more.

 

[carlhuber]

If you weren't at the receiving end fo the bill there would be just as many brain cells firing saying "wait a second: coffee and cappucino are two completely different drinks; of course they should be rung up separately"


Alternativey: If I order a bottle of brandy should I expect to start getting glasses of grape juice or wine free?

 

[DNW]

Originally Posted by rzi

I would not waste another moment of your life thinking about something of that importance.

She's just a waitress, not a professor

+1

Originally Posted by GQgeek

No. I can't imagine ever being upset about a $2 cup of coffee.

+1

My $0.02 is that the coffee was separate from the cappuccino, so it warranted its own charge.

 

[SoCal2NYC]

Neurotic NYer....do you live on the UWS?

 

[romafan]

Originally Posted by Britalian

Cappuccio after dinner? You deserved it and more.

+1

No cappuccino after 10 a.m.

 

[MrDaniels]

Originally Posted by carlhuber

If you weren't at the receiving end fo the bill there would be just as many brain cells firing saying "wait a second: coffee and cappucino are two completely different drinks; of course they should be rung up separately"


Alternativey: If I order a bottle of brandy should I expect to start getting glasses of grape juice or wine free?

The diffrence here is that that touch of coffee to warm up what was left in the cappuccino cup probaly cost the restaurant about 2 cents or less. Restaurants dump coffee down the drain all the time but they do not dump out juice or booze. I think the distinction here is the fact that she was just refilling his cup; if he had asked for a fresh coffee that required her to go and get a cup and saucer and serve it there would be no question here.

Believe me, when I was a waiter I could be a dick about not giving things away for free-I am strongly of the philliosphy that restaurants are in the business of selling food and beverages, NOT in the chairty business (which explains why better restaurants do not give free refills on soft drinks, to the shock of the TGI Fridays crowd), but in this case the waitress was just plain petty and risked pissing off a customer and having her tip reduced over a completely unneccessary $2 charge.

 

[odoreater]

Wait, did she just refill the cappuccino cup, or did she get you a new cup and fill it with coffee?

 

[Augusto86]

Originally Posted by romafan

+1

No cappuccino after 10 a.m.

??

Is that all coffee-based products or just cappuccinos? Can I have espresso after dinner?

Please...I'm on the edge of my goddamn seat....

 

[gdl203]

Originally Posted by Augusto86

Is that all coffee-based products or just cappuccinos? Can I have espresso after dinner?
Of course. Cappuccino is a breakfast drink - that's all. It would be the same reaction if you told a Frenchman you had a cafÃ

au lait after dinner.