Places that don’t give you free water

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can see why you would be annoyed, but the restaurant needs to pay rent, water, electricity, buy the cups, clean the cups, etc. Its easy to think of it as free but its simply not.

As someone who is trying to watch what I consume, I order fewer and fewer sodas, juices, cocktails etc - maybe more people are doing the same and the margins are getting even tighter. I personally prefer when restaurants have a communal jug with those teeny tiny cups. It gives me water if I need it but signals to me "hey buddy, if you are that thirsty, buy the bottle."

If the restaurant wants to lose $10-$30 worth of business over the cost of a few pennies for tap water then more power to them.

[Anonymous]

Went to a fast casual place last week in Cleveland Park and they only gave you free water if you provided a reusable bottle; they did not give out plastic cups and generally only served bottled drinks, not fountain.

[Anonymous]

I don’t mind teeny cups and room temperature tap water. But really balk at buying water and I know I won’t be carrying bottles around everywhere. I am more inclined to leave a smaller tip for counter-service places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here to clarify a couple of points.

This is Simply Social in Vienna. https://simplysocialcoffee.com/
I am not sure what the capacity is, it’s not huge but not super small either. It has tables inside and seating outside as well. We ordered three sandwiches (2 to eat there and one to take home) and a pastry. I had my kids in tow, one got thirsty and wanted a cup of water. We did not ask them to fill our personal cup/bottle. This hasn’t happened before in any place, so no this was a new to us. No, there wasn’t a long line.

The most benign explanation is that they are code-compliant and can seat less than 15 people. As far as I am concerned, there is nothing particularly special about their menu that will make us visit again. Their refusal to give water seems silly to me.

If you ever go buy and see more than 15 people eating feel free to call the county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can see why you would be annoyed, but the restaurant needs to pay rent, water, electricity, buy the cups, clean the cups, etc. Its easy to think of it as free but its simply not.

As someone who is trying to watch what I consume, I order fewer and fewer sodas, juices, cocktails etc - maybe more people are doing the same and the margins are getting even tighter. I personally prefer when restaurants have a communal jug with those teeny tiny cups. It gives me water if I need it but signals to me "hey buddy, if you are that thirsty, buy the bottle."

A small cup is fine. I’d also understand them saying “bring your own bottle or be charged a quarter for a plastic cup” - like a bag tax. But declining to provide tap water at all is bad service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here to clarify a couple of points.

This is Simply Social in Vienna. https://simplysocialcoffee.com/
I am not sure what the capacity is, it’s not huge but not super small either. It has tables inside and seating outside as well. We ordered three sandwiches (2 to eat there and one to take home) and a pastry. I had my kids in tow, one got thirsty and wanted a cup of water. We did not ask them to fill our personal cup/bottle. This hasn’t happened before in any place, so no this was a new to us. No, there wasn’t a long line.

The most benign explanation is that they are code-compliant and can seat less than 15 people. As far as I am concerned, there is nothing particularly special about their menu that will make us visit again. Their refusal to give water seems silly to me.

If you ever go buy and see more than 15 people eating feel free to call the county.

It's based on capacity, not how many people are in there at a given time. Their occupancy permit that must be posted on the wall should list the max occupancy.

[Anonymous]

Restaurants charge for water in Copenhagen, Denmark. It has something to do with a complicated sewer system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Restaurants charge for water in Copenhagen, Denmark. It has something to do with a complicated sewer system.

Oooh, you've been to Denmark? That has f-all to do with this post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Restaurants charge for water in Copenhagen, Denmark. It has something to do with a complicated sewer system.

Interesting angle

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can see why you would be annoyed, but the restaurant needs to pay rent, water, electricity, buy the cups, clean the cups, etc. Its easy to think of it as free but its simply not.

As someone who is trying to watch what I consume, I order fewer and fewer sodas, juices, cocktails etc - maybe more people are doing the same and the margins are getting even tighter. I personally prefer when restaurants have a communal jug with those teeny tiny cups. It gives me water if I need it but signals to me "hey buddy, if you are that thirsty, buy the bottle."

A small cup is fine. I’d also understand them saying “bring your own bottle or be charged a quarter for a plastic cup” - like a bag tax. But declining to provide tap water at all is bad service.

420 10 oz cups at Costco are $12ish, so we are taking 3c for disposable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Europe.

Is their tap water potable and safe? That is usually the reason other countries don’t offer free water.

No this in the DMV area. They are a coffee shop, sink right behind the counter.

Wait…a coffee shop? I would be mad if it was a restaurant where I paid for food, but it sort of makes sense for a place that makes most of its money from selling beverages.

It's not up the establishment based on their business model. There are specific code requirements.

It's like saying a sandwich shops makes less money from selling drinks than a bar, so it's OK if the sandwich shop doesn't install bathrooms, because people won't really need to use it compared to a place selling lots of drinks.

What's next, you''ll excuse a sporting goods store from having a doorway that's wide enough for a wheelchair because wheelchair people are less likely to play sports?

What an asinine failed attempt at a comparison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Encountered my first one today it was a casual coffee/sandwich place with seating. Is this a thing nowadays?

Did they charge you for tap water in a washable cup or did they charge you for tap water in a disposable cup? For some reason, some places charge a cup fee for a disposable cup but not a washing fee for a regular non to go type cup.

Nope, they refused to give us tap water and pointed us to the bottled water in the refrigerated case.

So buy a water. You can afford to eat out, you can afford a bottle of water.

Stop rolling your eyes. Grow up. Tap water is free, and they don't deserve any further business if this is how they operate.

OP: Where?

OP “deserves” nothing for free. Grow up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here to clarify a couple of points.

This is Simply Social in Vienna. https://simplysocialcoffee.com/
I am not sure what the capacity is, it’s not huge but not super small either. It has tables inside and seating outside as well. We ordered three sandwiches (2 to eat there and one to take home) and a pastry. I had my kids in tow, one got thirsty and wanted a cup of water. We did not ask them to fill our personal cup/bottle. This hasn’t happened before in any place, so no this was a new to us. No, there wasn’t a long line.

The most benign explanation is that they are code-compliant and can seat less than 15 people. As far as I am concerned, there is nothing particularly special about their menu that will make us visit again. Their refusal to give water seems silly to me.

I would not return, and spell the reason out in your review on Trip Advisor.

They will learn. Penny wise, pound foolish.

You rich women are so hilariously melodramatic. Get real problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can see why you would be annoyed, but the restaurant needs to pay rent, water, electricity, buy the cups, clean the cups, etc. Its easy to think of it as free but its simply not.

As someone who is trying to watch what I consume, I order fewer and fewer sodas, juices, cocktails etc - maybe more people are doing the same and the margins are getting even tighter. I personally prefer when restaurants have a communal jug with those teeny tiny cups. It gives me water if I need it but signals to me "hey buddy, if you are that thirsty, buy the bottle."

If the restaurant wants to lose $10-$30 worth of business over the cost of a few pennies for tap water then more power to them.

If a Karen wants to have a tantrum over buying a bottle of water and not return, bye.

[Anonymous]

It all comes down to the plumbing code in that jurisdiction. Not worth losing your business license.