Editor:
Unscrupulous is the only word to describe restaurants who now enhance their coffers by charging high prices for a cup of coffee.
The price today is approaching $4 a cup, which is what one would pay for a whole pound at the store these days. I cannot understand where on earth they come up with this price or how they calculate it.
One has to buy a cup of coffee or a beverage these days if you wish to participate in their two-for-one gimmick.
It is a gimmick all right. One restaurant that advertises two-for-one has an angle when you visit them. It only applies to certain items in the menu.
Over and above this, they underpay their employees and expect the customer to fork out an exorbitant gratuity.
One such restaurant that I frequented now adds 18 per cent to the bill, and if one uses your debit card there is also a tip to be added.
This is compounded by the quality of the food served, the long waits to receive it when the order is taken and, in some cases, not enough to satisfy your hunger.
The other gimmick is charging for dessert, which in most cases is overpriced. Imagine a spoonful of ice cream costing you over $2 or $3.
We are at the mercy of these restaurants and it is no wonder that we see a good many of them closing their shutters. But they come up with excuses, such as no free parking, etc. and blame the city for it.
The way to teach them a lesson would be the go back to the times when only a home-cooked meal was nothing but the best. At least you knew what you were eating.
My suggestion would be to do away with the gratuity as they do in Australia and some European countries. Better still, when you next visit a restaurant, do not pay any gratuity at all. That might teach them to pay a better wage to their employees.
I do enjoy dining out but at the same time I require value for my money.
Bon appétit…
Percy Smith, Surrey