DineInFeeEurope #EuropeanDiningCulture #TravelTips
Understanding the Dine-In Fee in Europe
If you’ve traveled around Europe, you might have noticed an extra charge on your bill when you decide to eat at the café rather than take your food to go. You’re not alone in wondering about this! So, what’s the story behind this fee?
Historical Reasons for the Dine-In Fee
Europe’s rich history plays a part. 🎭 In many European countries, food establishments have been central places for socializing. Over time, the concept of paying for the privilege of occupying a seat emerged. This charge often helps cover the cost of maintaining the dining area.
Operational Costs
Running a restaurant with a dine-in area involves more costs:
- Maintenance: Cleaning tables, floors, and restrooms adds to the expenses.
- Staff: Waiters and cleaners need salaries. 🍽️
- Utilities: Lights, heating, and cooling increase operational costs.
Therefore, a dine-in fee helps offset these added expenses.
Encouraging Turnover
Ever noticed how European cafes and restaurants are bustling? The dine-in fee can influence the turnover rate. 💡 It discourages people from lingering too long, ensuring there’s always space for new customers.
Quality Dining Experience
In Europe, dining is often seen as more than just eating. It’s an experience! 🌟 Paying a dine-in fee often ensures you get higher quality service, a pleasant ambiance, and a comfortable place to enjoy your meal.
Cultural Etiquette in Europe
Cultural norms differ from place to place. In the context you shared from Switzerland and France:
- In Switzerland, it’s about respect. Locals expect you to follow the rules of the establishment to maintain order and fairness.
- In France, the fee is more explicit, reminding you that occupying space comes with added services.
Tips for Tourists
Traveling to Europe and want to avoid any surprises?
- 📜 Read the menu carefully: Some places clearly state the dine-in fee.
- 🛋️ Observe the seating policy: If unsure, ask staff where you can sit.
- 💶 Carry some extra coins: A small dine-in fee might be customary.
Final Thoughts
The dine-in fee in Europe might be a culture shock for many tourists, especially Americans. But understanding the reasons behind it – from historical significance to covering operational costs – can make your travel experience smoother and more enjoyable. Bon appétit! 🥖🍷
Pretty uncommon actually.. you see it in Italy in some restaurants.
Never seen it in Switzerland or in France, though
Takeaway food is usually cheaper than a cooked sit-down meal, they want to reserve seating for people ordering a la carte. Profits on food are narrow for a small business and you cant do it on sandwiches and fries whilst also offering menu food.
Germany speaking: we have sth. similar but it s not actually a Fee but to pay the “Service” since we dont have a mandatory Tip for the waiter.
I’ve seen the dine-in fee in a lot of places but never seen it enforced like that, although I’ve never been to Switzerland.
In the UK every restaurant I’ve been to has dine-in fees as far as I can remember but not once have I seen anyone actually bothered about it. Hell, even when I order dine-in always receive take-away service anyways.
Might depend on what exactly is added. Here in Norway we have different VAT for when you sit down at a restaurant vs when you take the food with you. Not all restaurants will give a shit about this and charge you the same anyway.
A dine-in fee is quite unusual. Mostly in Italy and rarely in France it’s a bit more common. On the other hand you’re not expected to tip at all if there is a dine in fee. In Germany sometimes there are slightly different prices between take out and dine in because of tax reasons. Take away is buying food which is taxed at 9% and eating in is a service which is taxed at 19%.
It’s to pay for the staff to clean up after you. Also a way to move some customers along faster .
Switzerland is not whole Europe, you know?
It’s due to service tax. Take food away it’s like groceries. Eat in is a restaurant meal.
They are different rates of tax.
16 #€[
“” 1@
In Hungary theres actually a takeaway fee you have to pay when you are not dining in.
In Spain there isn’t a fee as such but for instance a coffee will cost more to eat sitting down on the terrace outside than it will standing at the bar. Cheapest is to take out.
In the UK it’s to do with VAT (sale tax). The rate depends upon a couple of factors but one is whether it’s dine in or take away. It’s cheaper to take away as the tax is less.
because europeans hate people. they’ve had too many wars.
Some countries have different sales tax based on the eat-in vs takeaway so if you purchases a takeaway they’re not allowed to let you dine-in as they’d break the law.
In some countries there are a different taxes for dine -in ant take-away, selling dine-in as take-away may lead to a lot of problems as tax fraud in case of inspection
Wait. If you’re American I GUARANTEE people in America for sure will still be annoyed you’re going to snag a table after ordering a carry out. They’re just *not allowed* to bang their fists on the table to yell at you for it.. we wish we could.
If you order a to go. Eat it where ever you’re *going*
If you have ordered to go why do you think you are entitled to sit and use the facilities provided to eat? Think of it as a discount when you eat outside.
The sit in tax is a sneaky one. However it could be worse you could be paying 20% tip tax like in America. It amuses me when i visit the States I’m told how cheap it is to eat out, um no the tipping makes it very expensive.
Depending on how you define, there are 44 countries in Europe. Why are you drawing with such a broad brush? Far from every country has it, so say “Europe”? Europe is not one country. Narrow down your definition
It’s like going to Alabama saying why is everyone in America fucking their sister.
In England we have this really upmarket, exclusive patisserie called Greggs, and they have different prices for every time to eat in or take out. That’s the only place I’ve heard of this in the uk though.
In the UK, the restaurant has to pay tax (20% value added) on food sold to people eating in, but not on takeaways.
Some restaurants pass that saving on to the customer.
It happened once, in Switzerland, and you generalize to Europe. A classic one.
But yes, some establishments in very popular /touristic areas might charge a fee although it’s an exception, not a rule. It has to do with time and labour to clean up. Also taxes, in some countries. Fortunately, you don’t have to tip when you pick up the food.
More American than they let on eh
What a fucking barbarian. Europeans will call us “fake nice” and all that bullshit but do you know what we say when they violate our dining norms? We say “would you like lemon with you water?”, we still give them great service, and then we wish them a nice day as they smugly write $0 on the tip line. I was in the food service industry for 10 years and had to put up with all kinds of norm violations from europeans.
Well, takeaway food is usually cheaper than what you’d pay to dine in, so it’s not surprising the staff/owner won’t be happy if you order something on the go and then decide to sit at a table instead.
Waiting a table takes time and “resources” you’re not covering with the cost of your sandwich.
It’s standard restaurant etiquette and I’m quite confused about you being confused.
It’s no more confusing than the de facto mandatory tip charge that you have in America. I’m not saying that to throw any shade, just to point out that random extra charges are not an exclusively European thing, so perhaps not as strange as you first thought.
It is by no means a rule, but some restaurants charge a dine-in fee or a service fee for guests that want to sit at a table. As an European I hate it and I will only eat in such an establishment once (unless there’s not extra fee choices in the area).
That do not exist in Sweden. I’d be as confused as you.
Couldn’t just write Switzerland in the title? Europe has like 50 countries all vastly different.
In czech republic is food/drink to go is taxed differently than to-eat-here. But i never saw any fee compensating for it.
Consider it a “rental” fee for the time you spend at the table.
I can tell for Germany it may be similar in France and Switzerland.
Dine in and to go are taxed differently.
To make it easier for the customer, most businesses decide to still sell the items at the same price. Meaning they make a few cents more revenue on to go sales. But there are some who do a dine in fee for that reason.
So if they give out something to go, they log it in the checkout as to go for tax declaration. If that customer now spontaneously decides to go and sit down with their food and the business doesn’t intervene the business technically can get into trouble for tax evasion!
And that isn’t even a hypothetical. There have actually been court cases about this.
Yes when something happens in one shitty restaurant it counts for whole Europe
Tax regime and the fact you are occupying a spot someone would pay more than you did with takeaway
Buying food vs buying a service, to go is just buying food from a tax point of view, going to a restaurant is not
Taxation
Because their staffs are paid normal salaries and don’t depend on tips to make a living.
Tax