Restaurant charges €5 coronavirus surcharge per person and people are ANGRY
Man, the hospitality industry has taken some hard knocks from the coronavirus crisis. What am I saying, taken? They’re still taking them. Everyone is looking for solutions to counter the loss of revenue. So is Brussels restaurant VIVA M’Boma. But not everyone is happy about it.
The restaurant charges an extra €5 per customer to compensate for the loss of income. And not everyone understands this, judging by the reactions on social media after a dissatisfied customer posted the bill online.
‘Objectionable’
‘Outrageous!’, ‘Great way to shrink your customer base’, ‘Objectionable, let’s hope these places close their doors as soon as possible’ are a few of the reactions on Facebook. But there is also understanding: ‘If this can save your favorite restaurant from going under, then with pleasure’, ‘I actually think it’s fair that this is charged separately; it makes it clear that it’s temporary.’
The owner responded on Facebook. They stated that the extra surcharge means nobody has to be laid off. “Because we are one team, in good times and bad.”
Shocking
“Because we didn’t know what the anti-coronavirus measures imposed by the government would cost, we decided to apply an extra surcharge of €5 euro per customer. We informed every table about this, and for ten days the customers understood our position.” The restaurant does not want to ‘shock’ people with the surcharge, but does want to pass on unforeseen costs.
They also write: “Just a reminder: after three months without activity, we can only use 50 percent of our capacity. We are losing two-thirds of our revenue.”
Upselling instead
Opinions are divided on whether or not this is allowed. Not only among guests, but also within the industry itself. Discussions are circulating on forums. ‘I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a coronavirus surcharge, provided it’s an amount you can justify. An amount that actually reflects what it costs you to get that table and chairs clean enough, plus the extra time required for the pre-check,’ says one person. Others would rather focus on up- and cross-selling instead of a coronavirus surcharge.
Image: VRT NWS
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