On the propriety of restaurants refilling Heinz ketchup bottles

[Anonymous]

I was at this restaurant that has 14-oz glass Heinz ketchup bottles on the tables. I think when restaurants place these bottles on the tables the message is that these are new bottles of ketchup and they will be disposed of when they are empty. I could tell they were refilled because 1) they were filled to the brim unlike new bottles, 2) there were air bubbles in the bottles unlike new ones, and 3) the top where the lid screws on was gunky with dried and partially blackened ketchup around the glass threads.

I told the server the food and drink were good but that they were putting on airs by representing the ketchup as new. She said they refilled them from bulk Heinz containers, and she does it sometimes. I believe her -- it tasted like Heinz. But, it seems unethical and deceitful to me. What do you think?

[Anonymous]

I think you have an incredible amount of time on your hands.

[Anonymous]

I'm not checking this thread again after this post because I'm sure people will reveal what else restaurants do that I don't want to know about if I want to eat at them again. Have fun!

[Anonymous]

I think everyone already knows about the refilling of the bottles, and being upset about it isn't a thing.

[Anonymous]

OMG you are nuts - is this a real post?

Any prudently run restaurant that uses decent quantities of ketchup refills their ketchup bottles - there is actually a dispensing device that hangs on the wall that you put these large pouches of ketchup in from which you refill the bottles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was at this restaurant that has 14-oz glass Heinz ketchup bottles on the tables. I think when restaurants place these bottles on the tables the message is that these are new bottles of ketchup and they will be disposed of when they are empty. I could tell they were refilled because 1) they were filled to the brim unlike new bottles, 2) there were air bubbles in the bottles unlike new ones, and 3) the top where the lid screws on was gunky with dried and partially blackened ketchup around the glass threads.

I told the server the food and drink were good but that they were putting on airs by representing the ketchup as new. She said they refilled them from bulk Heinz containers, and she does it sometimes. I believe her -- it tasted like Heinz. But, it seems unethical and deceitful to me. What do you think?

This might be the funniest thing I have read all week.

[Anonymous]

Isn't this a good thing to do in terms of environmental responsibility?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG you are nuts - is this a real post?

Any prudently run restaurant that uses decent quantities of ketchup refills their ketchup bottles - there is actually a dispensing device that hangs on the wall that you put these large pouches of ketchup in from which you refill the bottles.

OK, I learned something. But shouldn't the restaurant clean the tops of the bottles before refilling them? Especially if they have black crud on them?

[Anonymous]

I only have issue with two things:

1. Excessive crustiness. Gross. Wipe those bottles down or chuck them.
2. Filling Heinz with what is clearly not Heinz. Blech.

[Anonymous]

all restaurants either refill them from a giant container or marry them together so they all look full.

never worked in a restaurant, eh, op?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at this restaurant that has 14-oz glass Heinz ketchup bottles on the tables. I think when restaurants place these bottles on the tables the message is that these are new bottles of ketchup and they will be disposed of when they are empty. I could tell they were refilled because 1) they were filled to the brim unlike new bottles, 2) there were air bubbles in the bottles unlike new ones, and 3) the top where the lid screws on was gunky with dried and partially blackened ketchup around the glass threads.

I told the server the food and drink were good but that they were putting on airs by representing the ketchup as new. She said they refilled them from bulk Heinz containers, and she does it sometimes. I believe her -- it tasted like Heinz. But, it seems unethical and deceitful to me. What do you think?

This might be the funniest thing I have read all week.

To add - the notion that a restaurant that has a ketchup bottle (old or new) *on the table* is putting on airs is hilarious.

"We're not like those restaurants that have ketchup in squeeze bottles [shudder] - we have out ketchup in bottles! *New* bottles! La-tee-da! By the way, would you like fries with that?"

[Anonymous]

When I waited tables in the 80's we refilled ketchup bottles like that at the end of the night after closing. If a ketchup bottle started to look gunky we were supposed to replace it with a fresh bottle. The head waiter/waitress would come by and inspect our tables (including the ketchup bottles) and we would get written up if they found something amiss.

It does not necessarily surprise me that restaurants do this nor does it surprise me that some restaurants might have lower standards than other restaurants do. Check your bottles.

[Anonymous]

I heard of this but I also heard you never do it to the mustard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG you are nuts - is this a real post?

Any prudently run restaurant that uses decent quantities of ketchup refills their ketchup bottles - there is actually a dispensing device that hangs on the wall that you put these large pouches of ketchup in from which you refill the bottles.

OK, I learned something. But shouldn't the restaurant clean the tops of the bottles before refilling them? Especially if they have black crud on them?

Many far worse things occur in restaurants.

[Anonymous]

I used to have to do this when I waitressed umpteen years ago. It was called mating the ketchup bottles and you poured the emptier ones into the fuller ones and then refilled the empties. It was super gross and the bottles got crusty.