Service Charge

[kopend]

why do restaurants charge a service charge for more than 8 people

[factor-fiction]

Maybe it's the inconvenience of having to time such a large number of meals to be ready at the same time. I'm not sure though- I've wondered myself

[boxtops]

Most restaurants charge a service charge on top of the meal price anyway - it's not limited to any number of diners. If they don't, it's up to you whether you tip or not. Normally the service charge is shown as a separate item at the bottom of the bill.

[jno]

do they? Some include a service charge for any number of people. Some don't but hope you'll tip anyway. Some, I think, do it for larger groups, probably as a matter of administrative convenience, and that may be what you're talking about. It's not universal, though.

[237SJ]

It`s just an excuse to get more money out of people. They were doing this in TGI in the US 20 years ago and I guess it`s another trend that has come here.

[Clanad]

As noted in many other posts, tipping here in the U.S. seems to be more common than in the UK (and Europe as well). It's been noted that in larger groups, some, if not many, of the diners will 'forget' (read: intentionally avoid) tipping since it could easily be overlooked.

Point is, many of the wait people depend on tips to maintain a reasonable income for their service. Most are paid aminimum wage by the restaurant but make a fairly good overall income due to the tiipping. To assure adequate remuneration for good service the restaurant iwll add a service charge for larger groups.

Additionally, many establishments require tips to be shared among the employees... including the cooks or chefs...