To think this café owner is a CF...

[ooohthepriceofbutter]

...to charge £4 for 2 small bottles of water to take away?

Not a swanky brand, think plain Highland Spring in 500ml plastic bottles, and screw caps, not even sports caps. Water had been in the fridge, but it was to take away so he didn't even open the bottles, let alone provide use of glasses, ice, a table and chairs, loo etc. It's just an ordinary café, not a Michelin star restaurant.

When I politely and quietly declined it and asked for my money back, he loudly called me 'very rude' in front of other customers.

Five minutes down the road, I was able to buy exactly the same for 60p. This was out of the fridge too, in a little rural village shop, where perhaps you'd expect to pay a few pence more to help keep it going.

I wasn't rude, but was the café owner otherwise right in his pricing? AIBU to think this is CF-ery? Profiteering against walkers and tourists in this scorching hot weather?

NC as this is local to me.

The cafe owner is entitled to charge what the market can support.

I'm always cross with myself for not being better prepared if I have to buy water but in your situation today I'd just think it was one of those things and there's no need to make life more difficult than it needs to be. I certainly wouldn't shop around for the sake of a couple of quid on an already difficult day.

no wonder she had to ask the Price.. he's clearly keeping it under his hat until you come to PAY....

She went into a cafe expecting to pay supermarket prices. Already a poor assumption.
She didn't ask the price, she assumed again.
She declined. Her choice.

But the question posed is not 'was he rude' - it's was he a CF to charge 2.00 for a bottle of water'. That's what people are defending. No, he wasn't cheeky to be charging that. If it's overpriced, people won't buy and he'll soon learn. Equally, the lady concerned might have learned to ask the price first, and to not expect supermarket prices in restaurants.

If you don't like the price OP then next time bring your own water in your rucksack - that's the conversation over really.

What? You didn’t have time to grab your refillable water bottle because you’re dashing to A&E. Fair enough obviously! But I can’t believe you then quibbled over the price and made a second stop for the water from another shop... were you not thinking straight? I hope your dc are ok!

His behaviour was rude, he didn't have to make a scene - but that wasn't the question posed.

I'm not rude by nature, but I'm sure that like most people I can come across unintentionally as rude occasionally. In this hot weather, I think tempers are more susceptible to getting frayed. If I'd been rude, either intentionally or end-of-tether-wise, I'd have no problem admitting it and apologising. I know he'll have his side of the story, but I don't think he's remotely the mumsnetty sort so you've just got mine. Sorry folks...

I’m not defending the cafe owner who may or may not have been rude but I am defending that the cost of a bottle of water in a corner shop will be less than the cost in a cafe. Different business rates for a start I believe.

And I agree, given that you were I a rush to get to A&E you seemed to have plenty of time to chat to shop owners etc.
For future reference A&E usually has a free water cooler.

Just to reassure people, it was the journey from A&E not journey to. I took a scenic route back to try to cheer us all up a bit and lighten the mood.

No DCs were harmed in the purchasing of this water or writing of this thread.

He's not ripping people off, and he has no reason to lower his prices for seasonal items. It's a CAFE, not a shop.

The price of bottle water in airports is much worst.

I was watching hotel inspector the other day and she was talking about pricing. She said pricing of food in a service industry like a hotel or a cafe is notoriously difficult to get right and easy to get wrong.

The wholesale price per item , plus vat, plus costs eg staffing, utilities, rent,rates, cleaning,wear and tear on fabric of the building,plus furniture, crockery etc only then can you add on something to make a profit. If a cafe owner is charging an amount for bottled water in the cafe he can hardly let you walk n and buy it cheaper can he?

Oi, Raymond Blanc, I don't want to sit at one of your posh tables and be served by your staff, just bung your Michelin starred food in this takeaway box and I'll eat it at home, oh and knock 75% of the price there's a good chap......

I'm gonna start selling it for £1.90 and undercut the b*d!

(shipping cost of £0.50 applies per bottle)

Thanks for clarifying op. I thought the heat had gotten to you then !

In case anyone is wondering, I've just had a post very speedily deleted for asking in a humorous fashion if Chicken or Lavendar are the café owner.

Maybe he is fed up with people buying water to take away and was making no money out of it?

This. Generally cafes are known for sitting in and drinking or eating, they aren't corner shops and aren't designed to take 2 bottles of water away, he can charge what he wants

In case anyone is wondering, I've just had a post very speedily deleted for asking in a humorous fashion if Chicken or Lavendar are the café owner.

What??? I don't know what's worse; the fact that someone felt the need to report that, or the fact that HQ deemed it offensive. FFS! This place sometimes!

Now that you've had your arse well and truly handed to you, OP, for daring to think £2 is a tad pricey for a small bottle of water, you may begin the self-flagellation.

And don't forget to begin plans on erecting that bronze statue to the hero of commerce - the cafe owner.

"Very rude"?
He was having a strop because he wasn't making a sale on his ridiculous markup.

Also, why are some users being so nasty?
2 pound for 500ml is ridiculous, he isn't an airport.

Also, saying about he needs to make a profit.. ever heard of wholesale?

He most likely gets a case of those waters (which I bet he isn't charged the earth for), keeps it out in the backroom with his produce then puts them out to restock a few at a time and is charging 2 pound each, can't begin to imagine how much profit he nets per bulk load.

I'm sure he could charge 1.29 for example and overall still make a good amount off of the amount of units he buys/orders, I don't think a single unit would be worth more than 60p each if purchased in a bulk case, but as some have pointed out he's a cafe and they put a surcharge on top of it as well as I'm guessing since a lot of the food is fresh they get waste, not everything sells and need to make up for that as well.

The most I've been charged in a swanky cafe for a 500ml water is 1.60.

The price of bottle water in airports is much worst.

Not in the UK it's not. Every single airport I have been to has a Boots where a 500ml water bottle is in the region of £1.

@ooohtepriceofbutter

In case anyone is wondering, I've just had a post very speedily deleted for asking in a humorous fashion if Chicken or Lavendar are the café owner.

Actually you accused me and @chickenbhunaandoice of being the same person, 'sock-puppeting.' Basically you cried TROLL because a couple people were saying something you didn't like to read!!! THAT is why your comments were deleted.

You did not just 'wonder if we were the shop owner!'

And you bloody well know it.

Don't go accusing people of being TROLLS, and using multiple pseudonyms, and your posts won't be deleted!!!