Eating Own Food In A Cafe

[ichkeria]

Eating my own sandwich (with a locally purchased drink) in a local Tesco cafe today I was "told off" by the (presumably manager) as there is a sign up saying only food purchased on the premises etc. etc.
It later transpired that the lady who serves me at the till every day had obviously "shopped me" which I was a bit disappointed to discover as I go in there quite a lot for a drink (and eat nothing).

Are they being a little petty? I understand that they don't want to lose money but (aside from the point that it's rarely a choice between one's own food and theirs anyway for most people in practice) the cafe was practically empty.

Anyway tomorrow I will get my revenge by paying for my 70p milk shake with a £20 note :-)

[friedgreentomato]

Chris, they may have mistook you for a homeless gent!

[magsmay]

buenchico -thanks for that -did not think of VAT -

[Barmaid]

You've clearly never been to Stowmarket, Sloopy.

I've got some sympathy with people wanting to do that when they have food intolerance and they are part of a larger group. I have this problem with step son (not a food intolerance, but I shan't go into detail here). We ALWAYS try and find somewhere that will cater for him. Every now and again it is not possible, so I normally have a reserve in my bag (on the basis that Mr BM and I will have a full meal and drinks). The trick is to ask politely first IF they will/can cater for step son. If not, do they mind if he has his pack up whilst we have a meal? Most places are extremely accommodating. If the answer is no. We don't eat there.

[Buenchico]

Humbersloop:
It occurred back in my 'trade plating' days (collecting cars and delivering them to auction). I was standing at the bottom of a slip road onto the A14, trying to hitch a lift, when a car went past with 2 young males in it and the passenger chucked an egg at me. There was a Tesco right by the junction, so that was the only place that I could think to go.

[Mosaic]

Ichkeria, really. For shame. I don't think you quite understand the principle of a cafe.
Turn the issue around for a different perspective: buy a coffee and slice of cake in the cafe, then take them outside and sit on a park bench to enjoy them.
Do you see?

[Eve]

I see special circumstances and a polite request as different.

Like when I used to work in a fast food place, I never had a problem with people asking if they could use the loos for a good reason (young child with them, pregnant lady etc...) but many people would just walk in and use the facilities without buying anything and it was us staff who had to clean the loos etc... throughout and properly at the end of the day.

[mazie]

It's a bit like me coming round to your house to watch TV because, I can't be bothered or don't have the money for a TV licence...Would you like someone to do that every evening?

[humbersloop]

no, bm ;o)

I just wondered if the same principle applied - only garments soiled by food purchased in this store may be laundered in the gents

[ichkeria]

"It's a bit like me coming round to your house to watch TV because, I can't be bothered or don't have the money for a TV licence...Would you like someone to do that every evening"

With respect it's not like that at all. See my previous comment btw

Anyway this is tremendous. Already onto page two of a question asked by me for the first time ever!
Keep it up!

[humbersloop]

ok got you now chris, ta x

[mazie]

Yes it is.. You're paying and I'm taking advantage and it's costing me nothing... That's me done

[ichkeria]

"You're paying and I'm taking advantage and it's costing me nothing... That's me done "

I am paying as a matter of fact.

I realise (just to repeat myself) that normally one doesn't eat ones own food in cafes. My question was are they being petty in the ciircumstances.
And I still take the general concensus to be "no"
Well, I did ask, tho I am slightly taken aback by the hostility of the response
Are you all cafe owners? :-)

[boxtops]

I'm on the side of Tesco's, a café is for buying food, it's not a picnic site.

[Barmaid]

OK, I'll tell you a story, where I managed not only to eat our own food on someone else's premises - I also got them to pay for it.........

Booked us all into a hotel in Scotland, phoned ahead and checked on catering for stepson - setting out his preferences (which largely involved pizza). Followed this up by email. We turn up and check in and book a table in the restaurant. Just on a "dotting all the i's and crossing the t's", I went to check with the maitre d' that our agreed arrangements had been sorted. Nope, not a thing. He was a rude little pillock. So I very calmly asked to speak to the manager - showed him a copy of our correspondence. He was equally unrepetant. Explained that none of us would be eating his restaurant and I would be considering action for breach of contract when we returned home and apart from anything else, how the hell did he expect me to feed the kids at that time of night?!

Stormed off to our room in the foulest mood (I was actually ready to check out at this point but I didn't think that would be a good idea with 2 tired kids in tow). So we got the kids all dressed up ready to go out and find somewhere else to eat. Just as we were leaving, the Manager knocked on the door and said the hotel would order in pizza for the kids..............

[magsmay]

ichkeria - no one is being hostile -they are just disagreeing with you - you perhaps expected sympathy but one does'nt have to be a cafe owner to see how wrong bringing your own food into a cafe is.

[mrs_overall]

I am on the side of the Tesco. Their cafe - their rules

[FredPuli43]

So that's why The Savoy didn't like me eating a Big Mac in The Grill that time . I thought it was because I wasn't wearing a tie.

[sherrardk]

Just curious, why did you have a sandwich with you in the first place?

[humbersloop]

I once stayed at a hotel where the staff recognised the food was so bad, they didn't mind you ordering a takeaway and lent you cutlery

[Tuvok]

Although the cafe is in Tesco, it may be run by a different firm - certainly is here. Take a look at the receipt.