Last night we went to Toojays for dinner. Sweetie had lunch out and wasn't very hungry and I never am until my bell goes off about ten in the evening.

He ordered a bowl of soup for 4.25 and I got their delicious Ultimate Brisket sandwich that comes with fries and cole slaw for 9.95 and Helene had a burger and fries. I split my sandwich, in fact we shared everything, and the server saw what we were doing and brought a plate. We thanked him and said we don't usually do this and we don't. We also thanked him again in the tip.

We do take home leftovers and I am surprised there isn't a charge for that sometimes. I just stop eating usually long before I finish the food.

I very much appreciate always being treated nicely at restaurants and always try to thank the server.

Most restaurant food is not expensive and I am not a lucrative eater because I don't drink alcohol any more. The servers have to make a living and do does the restaurant.

I'm soooo curious as to what the bill was and what the couple tipped the waiter/waitress. My husband and I have a policy never to leave less than $5.00 to the server even if the bill is only $15.00 and 20% of the bill when it is over $25.00. There are many restaurants that send coupons to their customers via email so it is easy enough to go out to eat and only spend $15.00. We feel the waiter/waitress has taken our order, brought our refreshments, served our food and returned to our table a minimum of two times, sometimes more than that. I patronize certain restaurants frequently and see both husbands and wives working in the same place. They deserve to earn a living wage, which is mostly comprised of their tips. If you can afford to dine out then we feel you can afford to compensate the wait staff.

It's only a dollar
 

I wouldn't even question the "split fee" because a dollar is neither here nor there to me. I go to lunch a lot and I have split a sandwich with another person and we did not get charged any extra fee. I don't split a sandwich to save money, I split because I can't eat the whole thing. And, to bring a sandwich home or a salad for that matter, by the time the next day rolls around and I'm ready to eat it they are both soggy and not edible. So, I would rather split thanwaste. If there is an extra charge then so be it.

I agree
 

As a prior restaurant owner I will never understand why any restaurant would elect to charge a "split" fee to its customers. It's one sure way of losing customers. It's a silly charge, with so many restaurants wanting your business....I would not allow my company to lose customers over such a petty charge. I was grateful for every customer, and if they elected to share their meal....so what! I was just glad to have them select us. Why risk losing customers....losing even one customer is too many! That $1 dollar will not make that company, but I promise it could break them...I would never impose such a fee to my valued customers!

Well, geez. If restaurants don't want to sell less expensive meals, nobody's holding a danged gun to their heads! If I as a customer want to sit at a prime table outside, I should be able to order ANYTHING ON THE MENU, including just an appetizer or a cup of soup, without feeling belittled by the wait staff or management.

In fact, I wish more restaurants would offer "senior" versions of their meals with smaller portions since so many of their customers are, you know, SENIORS. I may want to enjoy a dinner out but not necessarily take a soggy container home with me. It also bothers me to waste/not eat food that's been served and I'm concerned about the environmental impact of millions of styrofoam containers. We take our own Tupperware to restaurants where I know they serve too much and we'll have leftovers.

And PandG, I also wish you didn't feel the need to apologize for your post. People should be able to disagree with its content without attacking you personally.

One solution would be for more restaurants to offer half portions. I know Red Sauce does this.

Love that at Red Sauce. Belleview pizza has THREE different sizes for most of their meals. It's only a buck or two difference but I hate wasting food and I don't usually do doggy bag.

Sounds like a plan.

The people I knew that split an entrée ordered an extra salad and only split main course. Need more Senior Sized portions. When we take my Mother-in-law out for dinner, it is hard to find anything small, most food goes home in doggie bag. In Germany most have a Seniorenteller, my late mother could finish that multi-course meal,

But the server needs to be tipped as if you bought two, same with coupons. They have same work to do.

dead horse. all beaten to a pulp. not piling on.
If I go out single, nobody adds a fee. I wonder why not.

Tupperware???

Tap Water will be the next FEE they charge for
 

As a prior restaurant owner its a bad call for any restaurant to charge such a fee. For those who believe its no big deal, then how would you feel if the next charges created by restaurants are.....tap water .50......a party of two who use a table for 4....$1 for each empty chair....doesn't the restaurant lose out when a party of two sit at a table for 4...the $1 charge for an extra plate (or sharing charge as they call it) is NOT worth losing customers ; NOT even ONE customer. It's a silly charge! It;s NOT about a dollar people! It's about what would be next! You don't think that tap water doesn't cost them, the cost of ice, the cost to wash to glass, the lemon you request with your fee water....if they charge to share, why not the water!

The restaurant owner needs to understand this....if you lost a customer (1) over this fee...and that customer was spending $10 a week, that's $520.00 a year in lost sales...for 1 customer.....if the fee creates a lost of 20 customers (which is a low number) that would mean $10,400 in the bottom line GONE! It's plain BAD business for any restaurant to charge such fee's, is that dollar really worth losing $10,400.

My advise to Athens...lose the fee....you just lost my business and that will cost you about $800 a year! I love that place, however; such a fee tells me that they don't appreciate my business! I need to add, I don't share.... but if I did.....I would be the first to tell them on my way out...that was the last time I visit until they remove that silly fee! Its just a bad business decision, this coming from my experience in the business

$1 is the LOWEST split fee that I have seen anywhere. Quite reasonable. I sure hope the waitress is the one who gets it though.

Not sure I would want that customer at all. Never owned a rest, but a 50 cent spender is not a customer, but more of a pain in the..... If you get real customers you will make up that 10,400 dollars real quick. If you want dinner for pennies, stay out of restaurants entirely..

Should I have said Tupperware™? :laugh:

But yes, we take our own containers to the restaurant. And yes, some servers give us the rolling side eye.

The BPA in styrofoam also isn't so hot for you.

The split fee charged by Athens tells me that their prices are very competitive.

As I view it again their prices are competitive, their food quality and their service always with a smile. Athens has staying power.