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 :-)

[hc4361]

You've got a nerve.

[EcclesCake]

Unless you have a medical reason for eating your own food on their premises I think their actions were perfectly reasonable.

[Barmaid]

No they are not being petty. The sign clearly sets out the terms and conditions of entry.

[2sp_]

Sorry, I don't think they are being petty at all.

And I'm not usually one to defend Tesco.

[aelmpvw]

think i'll nip down my local and sit by their fire with a bottle of my own scotch

[vodkancoke]

You are braver than me ichkeria! I wouldn't dare do that in any cafe and if you did it in mine, you wouldn't be allowed back in to buy your "70p milkshake"!

[friedgreentomato]

You are in the wrong!

[Canary42]

What if everybody followed your example and brought packed lunches into the cafe and each took a table for just a 70p milk shake ?

I think the manager was quite correct, especially as there is a notice specifying the conditions you chose to blithely ignore.

[magsmay]

I was in M&S cafe with a friend who was gluten intolerant and they only had sandwiches in the cafe -she asked if she could purchase on of the M&S salads from the cooler right next to the cafe on the shop floor and eat it for her lunch in the cafe -they refused -i emailed customer services later and they said it was not their policy to allow food bought on the shop floor to be eaten in the cafe -how stupid is that??

[Buenchico]

Tesco's security staff objected to me washing my shirt in a sink in the gents, and then drying it under a hot-air dryer!

(Some bar steward had just thrown an egg at me)

[Mamyalynne]

Do you nip in the local hair salon and have a shampoo??

[Tilly2]

No they are not being petty. You are taking up space, benefiting from their light and heat and not contributing fairly. Supposing everyone did what you do. There would be no room for proper customers.

[Sycamore3House]

If you went for a night out to a pub/club etc would you take your own drink. No....it is the same principal in a cafe.
And why do you need to see a sign to tell you what can be eaten on the premises. It is called courtesy and etiquette

[EcclesCake]

This is a coffee shop you visit daily. Why did you go there today with a sandwich in you back pocket, was it just on the off chance that you might get puckish or is it actually your regular habit?

[Buenchico]

Magsmay:
There are VAT issues involved. If a customer eats a store-bought sandwich in the cafe, M&S are legally obliged to charge VAT on it.

[Eve]

Their cafe, their rules, it's not a public place.

When I worked on a supermarket kiosk it used to bug me when people would walk in and stand there reading newspapers or magazines but never actually buy one.

[2sp_]

I think there is something to do with VAT that treats food that you buy to take out and food you buy to eat on the premises at different rates?? (I'm sure someone else will know better than me on that!) I think that's why you can't eat your own food in cafes etc.

(I could be havering about this though...)

[2sp_]

Thanks Chris!

Thought I had made that up!

[ichkeria]

"What if everybody followed your example and brought packed lunches into the cafe and each took a table for just a 70p milk shake ? "

They'd sell a lot of 70p milk shakes is the answer to that one :-)
And they wouldn't actually lose any money because no-one would have been buying any food anyway.
I know I am in the wrong, I don't deny that. However, I am a regular customer who never eats their own (or indeed any) food in there, and they know me AND it was quiet at the time. Plus the lady was really quite rude, which didn't help
Anyway, I'll take the answer as a "no" :-)

[humbersloop]

is being //told off// the same as getting slung out?

^lively in your tescos chris, was said egg purchased and thrown there?