large booking at restaurant- how to split the bill?

onlyroz

missbiggles1 wrote: »

Of course they matter (I expect most of us have been there at some point in our lives) but it doesn't mean that they should expect to be able to go on holidays and have meals out in the same way that those who have money do, given that those things are luxuries and not essentials.

It's that feeling of entitlement rather than managing with what you have that leads so many people into debt.

Why is it being "entitled" to say "Here's £20 to cover the food and drink that I consumed"?

I think it is far more "entitled" to say "I know I've eaten £100 worth of food and drink but I'm only paying £50 and s0d the rest of you who didn't tuck into the champagne and oysters".

missbiggles1

PasturesNew wrote: »

1 table, 2 hours, 14 people, £2/person, £28.
That's a £14/hour tip for the waitress, for just ONE of their tables!

Even if they lingered and it was 3 hours, that's still over £9/hour tip for one table.

I don't know how many tables a waitress does, but if you say 8, that's £72/hour of tips for a 3-hour shift.

Extrapolate that to a full-time job of 35 hours/week and that's £44k/year of tips.

Even if the meal was as cheap as you think at £28 per head, £2 is less than 10%, which I think is really mean.

Andypandyboy

onlyroz wrote: »

But what if you want the £75 tasting menu and I want a single course at say £25. Should we split the bill and pay £50 each? If you insisted on doing that then I wouldn't be eating out with you again.

Restaurants that do tasting menus usually stipulate that the whole table has to have it to avoid this scenario;)

missbiggles1

onlyroz wrote: »

Why is it being "entitled" to say "Here's £20 to cover the food and drink that I consumed"?

I think it is far more "entitled" to say "I know I've eaten £100 worth of food and drink but I'm only paying £50 and s0d the rest of you who didn't tuck into the champagne and oysters".

I wasn't talking about paying your share, I was talking about going out for meals and going on holiday in general. (Although, if someone can afford £20 to eat out, I wouldn't describe them as skint.)

Gawd - I'm getting sucked in again!

LilElvis

Pollycat wrote: »

NOW we're talking!

I have 3 knife blocks, 1 made up from a flea market clearance of an ironmonger's shop plus a good quality carving set.

I sharpen my knives with a steel - OH goes into the shed just in case he's stepped out of line - and I just can't understand how anyone can use a blunt knife.

My Mum has got some old butcher's knives my Grandad was given as repayment of a debt. It includes one of those giant machete type ones that butchers use to whack through carcasses in a single blow. I think my husband will be running scared if it ends up in our kitchen :rotfl:

Isn't there a truism that blunt knives cause more accidents than sharp ones? I get the whetstone out once a month or so and sharpen all mine - I've never managed to get the hang of using a steel.

Andypandyboy

PasturesNew wrote: »

That's about where I sit. I own my own (small) home outright, but have an income of about £40/week or so. I have a small ISA, which I am loathe to cash in as once it's gone it's gone ... so I live within my income means. Due to low income I get a few quid/week top up, which is then spent on the council tax due to my savings as they stop me being able to claim for council tax. So I try to live on that ~£40/week, which fluctuates and varies weekly.

That ISA money's my planned extension money. So will be spent this/next year.

I have no idea how you manage on that level of income, or whether it is from choice, necessity, bad luck or other reasons, but on that level of income I would find it surprising if you could eat out at all.

LilElvis

missbiggles1 wrote: »

Even if the meal was as cheap as you think at £28 per head, £2 is less than 10%, which I think is really mean.

And someone's bound to come along soon to say that diners shouldn't tip at all :rotfl:

missbiggles1

SingleSue wrote: »

Silly as it may sound, I would actually be offended if you downgraded the choice or thought you were actively downgrading because of my financial situation.

You would probably end up being in a no win situation to be honest with me, I would be offended if you downgraded but would also be anxious/stressed if you didn't.

Pride is a begger! :rotfl:

It isn't really a case of downgrading though, it's just choice.

I have a friend whose income is much lower than mine and we just automatically eat out in cheaper places when we go out together. If she's treating me (as a way of thanking me for something) I choose somewhere a bit more expensive (but still reasonable) but if, in the same situation, I treat her then we probably go somewhere quite expensive.

We both know pretty well know where we're at financially and we only eat at places we both like and would go to normally anyway so it's just a question of choosing somewhere financially appropriate to us both. I don't see that pride comes into it.

missbiggles1

LilElvis wrote: »

My Mum has got some old butcher's knives my Grandad was given as repayment of a debt. It includes one of those giant machete type ones that butchers use to whack through carcasses in a single blow. I think my husband will be running scared if it ends up in our kitchen :rotfl:

Isn't there a truism that blunt knives cause more accidents than sharp ones? I get the whetstone out once a month or so and sharpen all mine - I've never managed to get the hang of using a steel.

I've always wanted someone to teach me how to sharpen a knife properly because then I'd buy better ones rather than just buy new when they're blunt. My mum used to sharpen hers on the front doorstep, a skill she neglected to pass on to me, unfortunately.:(

splishsplash

PasturesNew wrote: »

1 table, 2 hours, 14 people, £2/person, £28.
That's a £14/hour tip for the waitress, for just ONE of their tables!

Even if they lingered and it was 3 hours, that's still over £9/hour tip for one table.

I don't know how many tables a waitress does, but if you say 8, that's £72/hour of tips for a 3-hour shift.

Extrapolate that to a full-time job of 35 hours/week and that's £44k/year of tips.

In my neck of the woods, tips are pooled and divvied up between the total floor staff and kitchen staff. Based on my own distant and my kids' current waiting experience, I'd say that's an industry standard.
So in your example, £28 would be divided according to total hours worked by all the staff.