Cafe charging for tap water

[coldheartwarmtoes]

Cafe local to me posted on Facebook yesterday that they were going to start charging people £1 for tap water.

Basically they're fed up of people just ordering the water and not a drink when there water, staff, washing up costs attached etc.

The whole thread derailed with people flouncing and being horrified.

Are they being unreasonable?

I'd share the link but they took it down!

I think if you order a coffee and ask for some water with it you shouldn't be charged but water only isn't fair on the cafe

Why should it be free?
Are the staff serving it wanting to be paid, does the glass still need washing, is their water bill free?

If you're ordering nothing else, fair enough they're a business. If you're ordering something else (even if it had to be a minimum charge) then nice if it could be complimentary. Either way, when it comes down to it, if you don't like how a business operates, you don't have to use it.

If the cafe is licenced I thought they had to provide free tap water on request?

This legislation appears to only cover licensed premises. Op said the cafe doesn’t have a liquor licence.

Completely agree with this

I went to a nice restaurant in Inverness a few years ago where we all ordered a fair amount to eat but all ordered tap water as didn't feel like anything else. It was £24 on the bill for 6 of us. I questioned it (and reluctantly paid)and also went to trading standards. Turns out it's legal of them to charge but naughty to not tell us until the bill.

There's an official scheme for people to be able to go into suitable places and refill a water bottle of theirs for free - so not reasonable to charge then. Reasonable to charge if someone is sitting at a table using it and not having any food etc with it. Not reasonable to charge if they're having some food with it. What does annoy me is students and people who are working and/or shirking from home sitting using their laptop at a table. Tables in cafes are for people who are there eating and/or drinking and not for people to just use for doing pc work on or very very very slowly having one drink whilst using that laptop and telling themselves it's okay to use a space a customer might need to use. I've gone into cafes before now where there is a goodly proportion of tables occupied by someone who isn't eating or drinking - but is sitting there using a laptop and I'd chuck them out if I were staff there.

I think it sounds reasonable enough, they obviously have an issue going on there.

I've worked in pubs/ clubs and restaurants and water even squash was usually free. But people usually got it along side their meal or another drink. We would in 1 place get passers by come in, ask for a glass of water, drink it, maybe use the loo and be on their merry way. That was fine. I didn't really cost the business much either in water rate/ washing but more importantly they weren't taking up space for hours

Our local town has a scheme were cafes, bars etc will refill water bottles for free to help reduce the amount of plastic bottles.

Cafe here charges £1 for a glass of water if you don’t order anything else. If you buy another drink or food it’s free and if you want your own bottle filled it’s free. They also charge 30p to use their toilets if you don’t buy anything at all.

I don’t see anything wrong with that. They’re a business and sometimes people forget that.

a pub was really rude to me when i only wanted water, and dh had a pint of beer!

You can't charge for the water in a pub but you can charge for the use of a glass and washing up.

They could impose a minimum charge for every order which would cover tap water.

To be fair you should have ordered something that would cost and then additionally get some free water if you still wanted some. Planning on spending nothing isn’t really acceptable

Agree. Do not go into an establishment unless you expect to purchase from them e.g. a cafe.

I thought it was a legal requirement for all pubs/restaurants/cafes etc to offer free water. If not I think it should be, as there might be someone who is lost/vulnerable etc who is dehydrated. But this would be more like them coming in and asking for some water and perhaps taking it away in a plastic cup.

The rule should be that they're not allowed to take up a table if just sitting there drinking water. If you have ordered other things, or have come off the street on a hot day and just need a quick drink of water before leaving again, then that should be fine. But you said the post stated they will use discretion, so I would imagine they plan to make an exception for these situations anyway so there's no problem is there?

If you're asking whether they are unreasonable to say people can't just come in, order a free water and sit at a table for an hour then of course they ANBU. But they should give free water to paying customers and thirsty walkers who just want to take away a plastic cup or fill up their bottle.

Reasonable. People take the piss -- think of Fleabag charger scene

We have a scheme in our city that businesses sign up to to offer free water bottle refills. It makes it very clear which ones are included with stickers on the door. It’s great because you know which ones to go to when you just need a quick drink/refill.

By law they aren't allowed to charge for tap water. But they are allowed to decline to provide it for someone who hasn't bought anything.

Fair enough to charge for tap water if nothing else is ordered. I’ll often get a glass of water with a flat white. kids get an ice cream and a free water to wash it down. It’s just water from the tap, no ice/ lemon. I’d be unimpressed to be charged if I was paying for other stuff.

I often end up buying drinks I really don't want as I feel like too cheeky ordering tap water with a meal. So for me I would actually prefer a small charge (but would say 50p is more reasonable than £1).

I think it should be free if ordered with another item
One of the cafes I go to always has a jug of water next to the sugar etc, which is nice
I think it's really petty to charge £1, they are likely to lose customers on principle, and shoot themselves in the foot

I only drink tap water as its better quality than bottled but I've never just ordered water, wouldn't dream of it, so can see where they'recoming from kind of. On the other hand my instictive response is horror at the thought of somewhere refusing a person drinking water because they can't pay for it. Everyone should have access to drinking water.

Plastic cups cost money, why should someone be able to come in and get a plastic cup for free.