I can only answer for one, very specific instance.
When I go to Panda Express and get some fried rice, I always ask for it “to go,” so they’ll put it in the nice little “to go” box, which keeps it packed tight and keeps it hot (that whole sentence came out vaguely sexual - don’t know what happened).
If you get it to eat there, on a plate, the rice is cold in about two minutes.
Maybe the family in the OP did it to avoid tipping a waitperson?
I’ve considered it when I only have so much time for lunch and I want to eliminate the wait-time at the restaurant. That is, call ahead and order it so it’s waiting for you when you arrive, then sit down and eat it. I’ve never actually done it, though.
I occasionally order “to go”, and then just change my mind and eat in.
This works GREAT at the Baja Fresh near my work. They have two separate lines: one for call in orders and one for walk in. Guess which line is always short?
The smart people call in their orders on their cell phones while standing two feet outside the door of the restaurant.
I’ll do that at crowded fast food restaurants. If there aren’t enough seats, I don’t want to be stuck for 15 minutes holding my tray.
Yeah, I’d say that’s definitely another major reason. For some reason Mr Clueless McDoucherton thinks it’s not just as much effort to prepare your food and then place it all nice and neat in a plastic box and then into a bag and then add condiments and utensils and take time away from seated, tipping customers to take care of your pwecious special order. Another reason I kicked to-go customers out of the store.
Haven’t read the thread, but when I get lunch at a restaurant, it’s typically before work, which means I may have to leave at a moment’s notice. (It also tends to be fast food, not a sit-down place.) In those situations, I like to have everything conveniently wrapped up for me so that I can just grab it and go. It’s also handy when you know you’re not going to eat everything.
Why does the restaurant allow this? In gelaterias, there are always big signs “please don’t eat the to-go things at the tables” because the table prices are higher to include the extra costs (waitress, silverware, rent etc.) for keeping a table there.
And in a restaurant, if you order “to go” and then sit down, you’re blocking a table for regular customers. I’m surprised that the manager doesn’t clue these rude customers in.
If you order it go, then take it away and sit outside on a park bench, or inside your office or whatever, don’t block a table.
Not true. Some places charge you less to take out as they don’t have to give you a table, clean it, serve you, wash dishes etc.
Legally it’s also cheaper for cold food and drink to take away as they are zero-rated for take away and standard rate for eat-in. If you’re buying a sandwich or a cold drink then there’s no VAT for take-away but they must charge you 20% VAT to eat in.
Don’t blame Togos, blame the Board of Equalization. Uncooked food taken out is considered like groceries, that is, not taxed.
They can try, but the Douchey McShitbrains of the world aren’t good listeners.
I remember one time at a pizza place two young jerks picked up their to-go pizza, parked themselves in a booth, pulled out their drinks they had brought in with them, and then started to eat while using up every napkin in the dispenser and making a pig mess of the table. They also kept bugging the waitress so she must have gotten the manager, who told them they’d had to clear out because they needed the booth and no outside food/drink allowed.
After a bunch of what they probably thought were clever retorts (hey, we ARE paying customers! and show me where it says that!) the manager threatened to call the cops. that got rid of them, although they left yelling about what an asshole the manager was and they were never spending their money in there again. Yeah, cry me a river, asswipe.
Yep. My wife and I are small people and we can’t eat 2 pounds of food each during a meal, but so many restraunts give so much food.
Simple solution, order to go. The food comes in a nice transportable container.
Disclaimer: I have never paid less for “to go” food than for eat in food. I do not leave trash on the table when I leave. There is do difference between me ordering it “to go” or “eat in” except the packaging.
Woops, do=no. There is no difference between me ordering it “to go” or “eat in” except the packaging.
The fuck? Tipping on an order to go is not common at all and doesn’t even make sense. Who would the customer be tipping? There’s no waiter serving his food. If you’re tipping solely for the person who cooked the food and who pressed buttons at the cash register, then you might as well tip at McDonalds.
Yeah, I’ve never tipped on something I ordered to go. I don’t know who you’d be tipping either.
I think he meant that if you take a table and are served, you will tip the waitress, but to prepare your meal to go also takes time, without a tip.