Ice will cost you in this economy
Filed under: Food, Ripoffs and Scams
A friend went out for a rare girls' night out at a Rye, New York restaurant. The woman she was with convinced her to try the single-malt Scotch, an expensive but lux option; but it was a rare meal without her three young children so she went for it. Having it over ice would be sensible, she thought, ordering her drinks "on the rocks." And then the women got the receipt, and saw that the server had charged them a dollar each for their ice; he had forgotten on the first drink, so he'd tacked $2 onto my friend's drink order at the bartender's insistence. They had assumed the unusual charge must be a mistake and were startled to find the mistake was theirs. With salads nearing $20, the restaurant was already spendy, and the dollar for ice just seems an unfortunate splash of bad PR over your evening. And who will complain at the end of the meal?
Well, my friend did, taking a photo of her receipt and wondering over Twitter how it could be. In my opinion, it seems senseless; better to simply increase the cost of drinks (at $14 apiece, who would notice an extra 50 cents across the board?) than to point out how badly you're ripping off your customers with the "rocks" charge on the receipt.
Perhaps, the thinking goes, customers who order expensive liquor aren't going to nitpick over a dollar here and there. But it's also a mark of minor desperation to charge your diners for frozen water (is there a tap water charge, too?). In my opinion, the rocks charge is a mark of a restaurant with a frozen soul. What do you think?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
2-07-2009 @ 8:08PM
Dave said...
You think thats bad. I was at a fish and chip place in Seattle. The prices were high and the portions were small but they still charged 25 cents extra for ketchup !
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2-07-2009 @ 8:08PM
Ed Young said...
Only in New York!!!!
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2-07-2009 @ 8:22PM
LeeAnn said...
It's not just in New York! I live in Florida, but have found this practice in many places. In addition these places also charge for water whether it be "tap water" or bottled water.
Their claim to fame.....they are charged for water by the utuility company and also have to buy/lease maintain an ice maker and thus pass off the cost to the customers.
Of course this practice stinks, and the best way to handle that is to let the Management of these establishments know how you feel (in a polite way of course), refuse to support their establishment and tell your friends, family, co-workers of the practice and hope either they change their policy or eventually go out of business for price gouging a customer!
Remember folks, if you experience something you think is unfair, you ALWAYS have an option of not going back there.
2-07-2009 @ 8:43PM
ELAINE said...
ARE YOU SURE THEY ARE NOT RELATED TO "BLOOMBERG" THE NEXT TAX IN NYC WILL BE ON THE AIR.
2-08-2009 @ 3:16PM
Wade said...
Yep,only in New York. If they have to do this, I would think they would have enough sense to include it in the normal drink price, and not listing it seperately on the bill. Just markup all drinks to offset the cost of running the ice machine or whatever. Don't tick off your customers by nit-pickingly itemizing this on their bill.
If they persist in listing ice charges seperately, you might as well charge for the cloth napkins washer charge, slice of butter charge, toothpick charget, etc. Where does it end?
2-08-2009 @ 6:25PM
inthebiz said...
I do not know that particular restaurant or bar, and I am not familiar with their policies, but I am familiar with standard drink pricing. It is not unusual to have "rocks" drinks priced differently than "straight-up" drinks. Rocks drinks often are poured with 1/2 oz more so the drink does not get lost in the ice. Sounds like someone does get out much.
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2-07-2009 @ 9:34PM
restaurant goer said...
It is common practice in bars & restaurants to charge for "on the rocks". Typically this means the drinker will be getting more than a standard shot, which is just one ounce. On the rocks is often one and one-half or two ounces of liquor, so the upcharge is more than fair. Perhaps this was the case and the server did not make himself clear.
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2-07-2009 @ 8:17PM
Randy said...
It is ridiculous but get ready with companies losing customers and money daily they will charge and charge more and for stupid things because most people don't look at the bill.
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2-07-2009 @ 8:21PM
A jones said...
Not just in ny. Here in maryland we went to a local pub were ice water cost me $6.00
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2-07-2009 @ 8:26PM
mateo said...
I've been bartending for a long time. The "rocks" charge is pretty standard, and isn't a charge for the ice being added but rather when a drink is ordered "on the rocks" additional liquor is poured into the glass, beyond what would be considered a "neat" or "straight" single shot. On par with a "double"...
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2-07-2009 @ 8:25PM
Jen said...
Actually, This is not being charged for ice. I am bartender in NJ and the pour is larger on the rocks rather than straight so this is very misleading.
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2-07-2009 @ 8:27PM
Jeff said...
Im a bar manager in Orlando, we just got our new POS computers in this week. By default, the menu had a 1.00 dollar charge for "on the rocks" after selecting a liquor. Unless you program it differently , that charge would be on there. Someone at the business would have to know how to go in and change it in the "back office" screen, and have a manager/administrator password. Sounds like the managment didn't know about the charge, or just didn't know how to change it.
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2-07-2009 @ 8:36PM
Rod said...
you are charged more for a "rocks" (on ice) pour because you get more liquor. it's not the ice you're being charged for. obviously, the "victim" and the author of the article don't go out and drink often
2-07-2009 @ 8:33PM
Steph said...
I am a bartender and work in a local hotel. If someone orders a MacCallen on the rocks at my bar, there is a $2 upcharge. The reason for this, at my establishment ,is because we pour 1 and a quarter ounces for $8.50. Then we turn the jigger over and pour an extra 1 ounce shot in the drink for the $2 upcharge. At almost double the drink for $10.50 versus $17.00 it is a pretty good deal. I am assuming that this is the practice at Rye and the bartender and/or manager did not know how to communicate this properly.
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2-07-2009 @ 8:38PM
Chris said...
It could be that a drink on the rocks is bigger..or at least in theory..There should be no way a place could charge for ice..This is not Europe!
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2-07-2009 @ 8:34PM
gabe said...
I would have left them a zero tip, tell them to melt the ice and reuse the tip.
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2-07-2009 @ 8:42PM
ELAINE said...
i LIKE THE WAY YOU THINK
2-07-2009 @ 8:34PM
Gordon said...
Sometimes a rocks pour costs more then a regualar shot....Depending on the bar you actually are getting more alchohol, not being charged for the ice.....An normal shot is 1 1/4 oz and rocks pour can be 2oz...Therefore you get charged more...
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2-09-2009 @ 9:19AM
scrappy said...
Um if you use a jigger even with the ice in it it is the same amount of drink, if you know what you are doing. The more ice you use the more boose it looks like is in the glass.
3-02-2009 @ 7:02PM
Bob said...
I used to party a lot in NYC, when I was about 19 years old, that was, that was nearly 27 years ago. Drinks were expensive then, however, if I ever discovered I was paying extra for "on the rocks" that would be the last time I visited that establishment for a drink or anything else. I hope I'm not going to be considered "Old Fashioned". :-)
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