Sometimes, when going out to eat, we don’t always buy a drink to go with our food.
However, it looks like doing this will result in extra charges in one Malaysian state.
Coffee shops in Penang are reportedly charging customers for not purchasing beverages with their meals.
Source: The Star
Those who are ‘guilty’ of this will have to fork out a fee of S$0.16 (RM0.50) to S$0.31 (RM1).
Some food court operators have said that they do this as a way to dissuade customers from hanging around there for free.
According to The Star, coffee shops in Penang impose surcharges on patrons who do not order any drinks to go with their food.
Speaking to the Malaysian news outlet, Micah Ooi, a coffee shop owner who sells beverages, shared that customers would often occupy a table without buying anything to drink.
While they would get a meals from the food stalls, they would not order anything from his business.
Mr Ooi said he didn’t mind it at the start — until the habit persisted.
He claimed that as many as five customers would sit at a table without ordering a single drink. He said that since most of these people were tourists, “they should order something at the very least”.
It was then that Mr Ooi decided to put up a sign informing customers that they would have to pay a S$0.16 (RM0.50) fee if they do not order a beverage.
Source: Bloomberg
Such a fee isn’t unique to Mr Ooi’s coffee shop.
Other eateries in the state are doing the same thing, with some even demanding payment of S$0.31 (RM1) if customers refuse to order any beverage.
The operator of another food court told The Star that such a fee is meant to dissuade patrons from sitting around for free. Stickers have even been placed on all of the tables to remind customers of the rule.
Many patrons often just order their meals and leave the tables dirty for cleaning staff, the operator said.
Furthermore, since a S$0.19 (RM0.60) cup of water is cheaper than the fee, ordering that is better than paying S$0.31 (RM1) for nothing at all.
While he does hope the fee will increase business for his stall, Mr Ooi acknowledged that ultimately, he cannot force customers to order drinks.
Instead, he hopes that more customers will have empathy for his plight and support his livelihood. In turn, he promises to treat them with the best hospitality he can offer.
“It is fine if only a few from the entire group at a table order drinks,” he said. “At least it helps to cover my costs and work to upkeep the place.”
He also claimed that charging the fee has, in fact, yielded positive results.
Since its implementation, many have apparently “developed a better understanding”, leading to mutual respect between everyone.
A customer by the name of James Khoo, who also works in the F&B industry, understands the intention behind such practices.
He said that it can be difficult to find a place to sit in eateries during peak hours.
This is because some customers would sit at their table for a long time, taking up a space “that others could use to eat and help the business generate more income”.
As such, he thinks charging a fee is pretty fair, especially as operators state the prices clearly on their signs.
The Star notes that while such a practice is common in Penang, the ‘trend’ has yet to catch on in the rest of Malaysia.
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Featured image adapted from The Star and SAYS.
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