It’s not wrong for restaurants to charge for entrée sharing

Recently, I’ve been amazed to find restaurants placing a surcharge (usually around $5) for entrée sharing. In other words, you pay extra to get an empty second plate. In some restaurants the portions are so large that entrée sharing is common, especially amongst older diners. But what’s the difference between one person or two at the same table? It doesn’t change costs. Isn’t this surcharge unethical?

I sent your question to my “usually reliable source” in the restaurant industry, and what came back was a rant of Mercerian proportions. Here’s a snippet:

“People forget that they’re not paying just for the food but for the whole dining experience, let alone (God forbid) the small amount left over for a restaurateur who’s spent his life and passion producing that food. Guests often comment ‘I can make that dish at home for half that price.’ Yes, you can, in fact less than half at my restaurants; we know that and we’re up front about it. But your house doesn’t supply the person to cook, serve it to you and wash your dishes — let alone all the other things that create the environment you enjoy.” Obviously, you touched a nerve. But the math is solidly on the side of the restaurants. In successful, mid-range eateries (in between Ronald McDonald and Susur Lee), only about 30 per cent of operational dollars are spent on food and booze; another 30 per cent goes to staffing (salary, benefits, training, etc.), and 30 per cent is spent on facilities. That leaves about 10 per cent profit.

When you split an entrée, the restaurant saves some food cost — but the other 70 per cent of costs are the same. You’re using dishes and cutlery that have to be cleaned, sitting on furniture under electric lights, enjoying heat or air conditioning, being seated by the same hostess and served by the same server. And all those amenities and people represent real costs.

So, ethically speaking, there’s no problem with a restaurateur imposing a surcharge for entrée splitting; you’re not paying for an “empty plate,” but for the whole experience of being there. And five bucks seems quite reasonable against a $20 entrée. What’s more, in many restaurants where my wife and I share, the kitchen even splits the entrée, serving it on separate plates. Five bucks? A steal.

And another thought from my source: “thanks to your reader for still buying their booze, etc. and making it worth our while. Most sharers don’t; they want a free glass of water with a toothpick. So he’s one of the good ones; we love him.”

A final thought, this one from me. Remember to calculate your tip not on the bill you receive, but rather on what it would have cost for two full meals. It’s no less work for staff members when you split an entrée. So if they meet or exceed the level of service you expect, you should reward them on the basis of two complete dining experiences.

Entrée sharing is a terrific way to reduce food wastage — I hate seeing uneaten food tossed in the garbage. It’s also a good way to counter obesity. But it’s not a way to significantly cut the cost of dining out — nor should it be. Send your questions to star.ethics@yahoo.ca