Saudi Arabian restaurant 'fines diners for leaving food'

[FloatingFatMan]

Well I don't pay money to eat peoples feet, personally.

Rule 34, dude. :p

[P!P]

This would never fly where I live. First of all, this could really only apply to all you can eat buffets. I don't see how a restaurant could charge you for a meal you ordered but didn't finish. So I'll focus on buffets. It doesn't seem like a horrible idea I guess but it seems like that would make ordering and paying such a complicated thing. How would you determine what the charges are? Would you charge by pound or by the item left? Obviously half a pound of potatoes is cheaper than half a pound of meat. What if something is half eaten? What would stop you from taking or hiding items? It seems like it would be so difficult it wouldn't be worth the money to pay the staff. Lastly, since 99.999% of places don't charge based on what you have left, why would you ever go to the places that do?

[Sir Topham Hatt]

There are a few issues I raise with this:

Charging people for wastage at "all you can eat" restaurants is fair enough, I can understand that.

However, if I order something and the portion size is HUGE, then it's not my fault if I can't eat it all. The same can also go to what FireTalon said - if I pay for it, then the restaurant has got it's money, so what is it to them if I want to leave all of it?

An easy way round it is to do what many people do and ask for it to be wrapped up to take away. Again, if I pay for it, I don't want to waste any of it, so will eat it later in the day.

[kInG aLeXo]

No single mention that it might be all about the publicity ? like that airline company that decided to charge people for using the toilets ?

[dancedar]

The problem is no one really knows how much food each dish cones with.

[mokthraka]

I hin

[primexx]

The problem is no one really knows how much food each dish cones with.

this.

I was brought up like many people not to waste food, but now that nobody forces me to down all my food anymore, given the choice of "wasting" some left over food and feeling sick for the next couple of hours or even throwing up, I'll take "wasting" food any day. You'll need systemic changes on a national/international level to make any difference to the hypothetical "hungry children in africa". the stage at which you're sitting in front of a plate of food that they made too giant is wayyy too late to matter to worldwide food supply issues.

[Aethec]

I agree with the fact we can't know how much food there will be - but that's not the reason this guy does it.

Read the article again. This guy does it because people order a ton of food just to impress other people - they know they can't eat everything they order.

[DrunkenBeard]

I like this idea. There's something that you guys seem to ignore : when you order something and you don't finish it, it actually costs the restaurant. So the thing to do here is simple, if you like the food, can't finish it but don't want to be charged then bring a bag and take the leftover with you. "Your food, your waste", if you want the restaurant to take care of your waste for you then you pay for it. I think it's a pretty fair deal.

[leesmithg]

Great idea, cut down on waste.

However, usually if you have left overs in an Indian or Chinese restaurant, you ask for a doggy-bag and take it home.

[mokthraka]

I think what 90% of everyone who is posting is this is to cut down on people who order 5x the amount of food then could possibly be eaten. I doubt they will charge people who leave a little left. But only got enough for the selfs.

[TheLegendOfMart]

If they order and pay for it they should be able to do so. Just because people are starving in the world doesnt mean everyone else should stop eating.

[HighwayGlider]

In all the places I've eaten in Saudi Arabia, the normal portion for 1 person can feed 2 persons.

[zhangm Supervisor]

If they order and pay for it they should be able to do so. Just because people are starving in the world doesnt mean everyone else should stop eating.

I don't see how people should be free to do whatever they want on business property. Private businesses have always reserved the right to place conditions on customer behavior. At most places, you can't show up naked. Some places ban children below a certain age because they make a lot of noise and cannot be controlled. Upper-scale restaurants will demand a certain level of formal dress for patrons. In this particular restaurant, the business demands that a customer finish the majority of their orders.

It isn't a law, and I don't see what the fuss is. If certain patrons can't handle it, there are plenty of other places for them to eat. Remember, this isn't a case of "I paid for it and I can do whatever I want." You can do whatever you want if you have takeout, but as long as you're a diner on the premises, you have to adhere to their rules of conduct.

[FireTalon]

and I hope they go out of business, and then the entire family starves to death. This is ****ing stupid, and so are the people that agree with it.

[zhangm Supervisor]

and I hope they go out of business, and then the entire family starves to death. This is ****ing stupid, and so are the people that agree with it.

Gosh, thanks for sharing that with us. Maybe you should start an online petition. :rolleyes: :laugh:

[DrunkenBeard]

If they order and pay for it they should be able to do so. Just because people are starving in the world doesnt mean everyone else should stop eating.

You're able to do whatever you want with it. Basically, think of it like this : It's your food, you can eat it, you can eat only half of it etc. If you choose to eat only a portion then you can take the left over with you, it's your food after all. But eating only a portion AND returning the left overs back to the restaurant is a service that the restaurant offers you. The restaurant takes care of your left over, you pay for it. Simple.

[GreenMartian]

The restaurant takes care of your left over, you pay for it. Simple.

Spot on. I don't understand how people can't get this simple concept.

[Steven P. Administrators]

If I order and pay for it then **** you. Its mine to do as I want with it. If I want to order it and toss it in the trash, I bought it so **** off.

Please: Think of the children! :shifty:

But yeah, this will remind some customers of strict parents who required the same thing (I was taught to not waste food as a kid).

Now I'm a fat f*****!

[tiagosilva29]

I never leave food behind.

In all the places I've eaten in Saudi Arabia, the normal portion for 1 person can feed 2 persons.

So I would have have to order two plates in order to feel a little satisfied.

[ozgeek]

I like this because it encourage you to actually pay for what food you actually are going to eat and not paying for food just for it to sit out there to go waste.

Besides, we are consuming more food than ever before and more than we ever need. Your body can't handle so much food that it stores them as fat and that is why we are having problems with obesity.

Infact I want to see the "scrap fees" increase. This makes people be sensible for what they are paying and consuming. There is just so much greed and selfish people in this world.

[ylcard]

I like this because it encourage you to actually pay for what food you actually are going to eat and not paying for food just for it to sit out there to go waste.

Besides, we are consuming more food than ever before and more than we ever need. Your body can't handle so much food that it stores them as fat and that is why we are having problems with obesity.

Infact I want to see the "scrap fees" increase. This makes people be sensible for what they are paying and consuming. There is just so much greed and selfish people in this world.

Speak for yourself, I am not having problems with obesity.

Why the **** should I pay if I can't finish my dinner ?

Like it was said by some people here, it's fine when it's in a all-you-can-eat types of places, but never in a million years will I go to a restaurant that did this **** to me.

They should put a huge warning sign that they are fining people for not finishing their dinner, see how that works for them.

Just out of spite I'm going to order a pizza and take a picture of it half finished, on its way to the trash bin.

Some of you are so high on "morality" you forget that it's none of your (or the restaurant's) business.

[MidnightDevil]

I don't think the concept is wrong at all, but well, you've payed for it. Why not take the rests home?

[Sir Topham Hatt]

Some places in the UK do this too, but only ever seen it in all-you-can-eat places.

If I order something and pay for it, if I choose to leave some of it, that is my choice. Where I can, I will try and take things home (although I can't stand the term "doggie bag". A doggie bag is what you put poo in isn't it? I just ask for it to be wrapped up to take home). It's not my fault if the restaurant gives huge portions - I don't have the largest of stomachs.

If I am at an "all you can eat" buffet, I can understand charging.

[thommcg]

I don't think the concept is wrong at all, but well, you've payed for it. Why not take the rests home?

Cultural thing perhaps? Here in Ireland I never see anyone take, ask, or be offered to take their leftovers home. Yet everytime I'm over in Olive Garden on Chili's you bet I take it home ;)