Where to dodge the Holiday Surcharge
It's Queen's Birthday Weekend this weekend and I know that for most of us that means singing the Holiday Cafe Surcharge Blues. "Why?" we wonder, "Why do cafes and the like believe that they alone are allowed to bump up their prices for the holidays? And why is it always 15%?" (though I have seen some places go up to 20% in recent years)
But don't worry kids Uncle Wellingtonista has got the goods on where to eat at the usual prices.
- Chow: Chow are not only open and surcharge free on Monday, they are also retaining their 1+1=1 Monday special! It's almost the reverse of the surcharge.
- Floriditas: Floriditas have led the way every year by never having applied the evil manky surcharge to their fantastic food. And bloody good on them
- The Chocolate Frog Cafe: The old CFC is doing something for the little guy (us). Surcharge? No frogging way.
- The Goblin Cafe: As mentioned in the comments, the Goblin was surcharge-free over Easter and so may be again this Monday. Thanks Mike for the tip
- Astoria: Astoria may make you wait at the counter for your coffee like some second-class citizen but they will not charge you extra on a public holiday. Thanks Julie for the tip
- Maranui:You may not be able to get a seat but at least the food will be normal prices
- Lone Star:Giant plates of food with Elvis-themed names will be at regular prices this Monday
Check back later as this list may be updated (sorry RSS lovers)
And remember, if the retailer does not inform you that there is a surcharge it is illegal for them to charge you.
UPDATE: Here is the rules for working on a public holiday.
For working public holidays the employee is entitled to time & a half for hours worked provided that is greater than their normal daily pay.
Eg. 2 hrs @ time & a half is not greater than normal 8 hours. If they usually would have worked 8 hrs but only required to work 2 on public holiday they would get normal 8 hours.
Plus a paid day off in lieu.
At easter the Goblin Café also wasn't doing the surcharge. I had a great breakfast there.
It annoys me that café's think it is OK to penalise their customers for having to treat their staff just like any other industry. Especially when you see places like JJ's in Taupo where they didn't have any of their staff on and were still charging 15% extra. I understand many of them operate on narrow margins, but for most of the public holidays, I woudl expect the increased daily turnover would cover the extra staffing cost.
Thanks Mike, I'll the Goblin to the list.
Last I checked Astoria was surcharge free, for all shoppers hanging out on Lambton Quay on Monday
Goblin Cafe is owner operated - so perhaps the care-factor is a bit higher.
Mmmmmm *thinks about the vege lasagna they make*
Might have to pay them a visit this weekend :)
Surcharge? No frogging way. - brilliant, why couldn't I think of that!?!
"UPDATE: Here is the rules for working on a public holiday."
but most cafe's employee causal workers who don't work regular days/ hours so the time in lieu does not often apply to them
If they work on the holiday, they get the day in lieu.
but given the first part: "If they usually would have worked 8 hrs but only required to work 2 on public holiday they would get normal 8 hours."
you'd be a pretty stupid employer to roster your temp staff on that day.
I've just read that Lone Star will be surchase free
"surchase"? :)
That's like an extra purchase?
Maranui doesn't charge but I'm guessing it will be tough to get a seat as per any normal weekend
I'll add this and the Lone star, thanks!
I got a coffee from Midnight Espresso today and there was no surcharge on it. They were doing a roaring trade too.
After spending so much time doing this, I went to Kiallis...and was stung!
F**kers!
I went by Chocolate Frog with a few friends on Monday. Excellent panini and warm chocolate cake, though I think their coffee should be avoided in the future.
The profit margin is indeed low in the hospitality industry. Go out for lunch or dinner and your waiter will be getting paid time and a half for his/her hours worked plus equivalent lieu time at their usual rate for number of hours worked. This means your waiter on $15 p/h is suddenly getting paid $37.50 p/h. Most restaurants in our fair land are small businesses/owner operator type places which will actually run at a loss on a public holiday, even with the surcharge going in to the till. A cafe or restaurant will have to serve about 60-80 % more people to cover their extra wage cost - this is not the reality for most places.
These businesses are also subject to extra charges from their own suppliers on those holidays (eg cleaners). For years we have been charged things like 'call-out' fees from trademen etc yet we don't see letters to every editor in the country about that. Why is it that people are prepared to accept call out fees but are seemigly 'offended' by restaurant surcharges? Hospitality businesses seem to get media attention and general complaints over this issue as they are more in the public eye and people forget that they are actually private businesses. Why expect them to run at a loss? Who would go into business wanting to do that?
We don't expect you to run at a loss, we don't expect you to be open if it hurts your business.
But at the same time, you can't be annoyed when we go someplace else when you charge a surcharge.
minimum wage is $12 per hour, not $15.
Cafes & resurants don't have to open on a public holiday & nobody is forcing them to.
Ever heard of goodwill?
Cafes and restaurants can work out what they would lose over the public holidays and amortise that cost over the others days of they year they are open with a very small increase in costs. If you're unable to put up your prices by half a percent you should immediately close such a flakey business. Do retailers charge more on public holidays? No, they don't; they eat the extra staff costs and cover them in their margin.
Yeah, trades people CAN charge extra fees, because they're a scarce resource with little competition. Unless and until most food places are shut, they won't be able to enjoy the same leverage.
"Why expect them to run at a loss? Who would go into business wanting to do that?"
That is a very fair and just complaint. The issue here is not whether you deserve to run at a profit, the issue is HOW you manage to run at a profit. The best way is the way that annoys your customers least.
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