Restaurant Leftovers and Ownership Rights

[Bullett]

Just curious. I recognize the limitations of this type of poll, and that my questions are not the best . . .

[Tony_K]

Sounds like Twisties is in trouble.

[Firefight911]

Sounds like Twisties is in trouble.

 

I was thinking the same thing!!

 

My wife won't touch leftovers so it is a non-issue in our household. Me, on the other hand, LOVE leftovers!!!! Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!

[Bullett]

Sounds like Twisties is in trouble.

 

Not quite yet. I'm waiting for the results of the poll.

[DonMcCall]

Yes, ownership rights. But NON owner has the right to bug the crap out of the owner until she relents and lets us have a taste ;-)

 

PS: above answer is only good for NON-Pizza leftovers. For Pizza, its every man to himself. (What do you MEAN putting a perfectly good half eaten slice in the fridge??? )

[Twisties]

Sounds like Twisties is in trouble.

 

I was thinking the same thing!!

 

My wife won't touch leftovers so it is a non-issue in our household. Me, on the other hand, LOVE leftovers!!!! Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!

 

My wife won't touch leftovers either. I either eat them, or eventually I throw them away. Unfortunately, about once every other year she notices.

 

Yes, I'm in trouble. At this point I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT 57% of you have responded that leftovers come with ownership rights. Not only am I going to have to suffer some wrath, and stay out of her leftovers, but within a month there will no room for anything in our refrigerator.

 

Fortunately, at the moment, I hear her listening to Achmed the Dead Terrorist, so for 9 minutes at least there is hope. :-)

Jan

[Francois_Dumas]

Restaurant Leftovers are a non-issue in Europe (un?)fortunately....

 

So any left-overs in our fridge can only be attributed to Nina cooking too much (nobody in his right mind would believe I would not eat enough, so that can't be it)

[Husker Red]

I asked my wife if there are ownership rights on leftovers and she said,

 

WHAT?!?!?! You didn't eat my leftovers, did you?!?!?

 

So, yeah, I guess we do have that rule in our house. Glad I learned from Twisties mistake before I got in trouble.

[Mike]

An interesting question. As a lawyer, I can tell you that any piece of property has multiple rights that comprise ownership. With respect to restaurant leftovers there are two rights that are generally of greatest importance:

 

-The right of consumption. Under U.S. common law, the right of consumption is generally waived by the original owner once it is placed in a "common access refrigerator." Some states have codified this in statute.

 

-Rights of whining. These rights cannot be passed to another person, except by a written, notarized instrument that is witnessed by two adults. The original owner of the right of consumption can whine endlessly if someone snarfs his or her stuff, but has no recourse in law or equity.

 

Of course, unseemly or excessive whining is a misdemeanor in most states.

[Boffin]

A note for US visitors to Europe. Asking for a doggy-bag in the UK will get you a blank stare. Asking for one in France will either a) get you deported, or b) get you lynched.

 

Andy

[Ken H.]

A note for US visitors to Europe. Asking for a doggy-bag in the UK will get you a blank stare. Asking for one in France will either a) get you deported, or b) get you lynched.

Seems wasteful, yes?

[Bullett]

An interesting question. As a lawyer, I can tell you that any piece of property has multiple rights that comprise ownership. With respect to restaurant leftovers there are two rights that are generally of greatest importance:

 

-The right of consumption. Under U.S. common law, the right of consumption is generally waived by the original owner once it is placed in a "common access refrigerator." Some states have codified this in statute.

 

-Rights of whining. These rights cannot be passed to another person, except by a written, notarized instrument that is witnessed by two adults. The original owner of the right of consumption can whine endlessly if someone snarfs his or her stuff, but has no recourse in law or equity.

 

Of course, unseemly or excessive whining is a misdemeanor in most states.

 

Thanks, Mike. Pretty funny.

[Paul Mihalka]

In Europe they don't know about doggy-bags because the food is great and the portions are smaller, so the plates always end up empty. About the only thing you might take home for the doggy, is if there is a nice bone left on your plate.

[Mike]

In Europe they don't know about doggy-bags because the food is great and the portions are smaller, so the plates always end up empty.

 

I guess it comes with one's declining appetite over the years, but I've really come to dislike the huge portions you get in many restaurants. So often, it seems like quantity is a substitute for quality. The worst offenders are the many mediocre Italian restaurants, where they plop a huge bowl of soggy pasta in front of you, as if it's some great treat. Someone needs to grab these restaurateurs by the scruff of the neck, push them to the ground, and make them eat dirt.

 

 

After years of selfishly refusing to split meals with my wife, I'm now the one who suggests it first.

[Paul_Burkett]

I believe that if you put it in the fridge, it is yours. That is the the word, that is the law. On the other hand, you can also be benevolent and give it to whom ever asks for it, if you feel the like giving it , or not, I don't have many rights in this house after raising kids here, I must hold on to any rights that I can get.

[Ken H.]

I guess it comes with one's declining appetite over the years, but I've really come to dislike the huge portions you get in many restaurants.

Oh I don't think it's just your declining appetite, several things I've read say that portions have gotten significantly bigger (in the USA at any rate). Restaurants have realized the cost of the actual food is such a small part of their total overhead, that they can pile in on in the interest of creating the illusion of more perceived value with little consequences to the bottom line.

After years of selfishly refusing to split meals with my wife, I'm now the one who suggests it first.

Then there's the ones that attempt to charge you $6 or something for the extra plate to meal-share. We've gotten up and walked out (and will continue to) when encountering it. Encouraging gluttony in the restaurant business of all places is absurd.

[Mike]

After years of selfishly refusing to split meals with my wife, I'm now the one who suggests it first.

Then there's the ones that attempt to charge you $6 or something for the extra plate to meal-share. We've gotten up and walked out (and will continue to) when encountering it. Encouraging gluttony in the restaurant business of all places is absurd.

 

I haven't run into that too often, but I have encountered restaurants where they will split the portion for you, and serve it on separate plates with the garnishes, fireworks, etc. I remember service like that.

[Matts_12GS]

Then there's the ones that attempt to charge you $6 or something for the extra plate to meal-share.

 

I'm not certain that I see the issue with this Ken. After all, by sharing, you're taking away a revenue producing seat for that eatery when you split a meal. It's fair for him to minimize his losses.

 

There's no reason not to expect that every seat pay it's "share" of the expenses. I will tell you also, that if you complain about this to someone other than the server, especially if you are known in a place, that's one of those fees that gets quickly discarded in the face of an unhappy customer.

[CoarsegoldKid]

But it could also be seen another way. If you charge me extra because I share a plate I'll go somewhere else and you make zero.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

But it could also be seen another way. If you charge me extra because I share a plate I'll go somewhere else and you make zero.

 

Ah, the wonders of a free marketplace.

[Matts_12GS]

But it could also be seen another way. If you charge me extra because I share a plate I'll go somewhere else and you make zero.

 

It's certainly a choice. For me though, the time and hassle of going someplace else or waiting in line at another place will make that $6 seem completely reasonable. My experiences in the bar business showed me that most customers that a small fee is reasonable. Those that don't generally aren't spending enough money often enough to be worth the hassle.

 

Frequent patrons, especially those that regularly have substantial tabs will quite often have that fee waived as a recognition of their spending habits.

[exwingnut]

But it could also be seen another way. If you charge me extra because I share a plate I'll go somewhere else and you make zero.

 

It's certainly a choice. For me though, the time and hassle of going someplace else or waiting in line at another place will make that $6 seem completely reasonable. My experiences in the bar business showed me that most customers that a small fee is reasonable. Those that don't generally aren't spending enough money often enough to be worth the hassle.

 

Frequent patrons, especially those that regularly have substantial tabs will quite often have that fee waived as a recognition of their spending habits.

 

I think the only way to make that point would be to hand the menu back before ordering and leave. I doubt that the restaurant would notice you if you never came back.

 

Or, you could try the walk in, stop, and then proclaim in a loud voice "Oh, that's right. THIS is the place that wouldn't split my order" and leave.

 

Why be difficult when, with a little effort, you can be truly impossible.

[notacop]

It's a matter of respect and the fact that I order stuff she won't eat and vercy-vicey!

[Ken H.]

After all, by sharing, you're taking away a revenue producing seat for that eatery when you split a meal.

But we're not, because they're not going to seat another person at that table or booth anyway. Any restaurant will seat a person that comes in by him/herself at table/booth without question, so the fact that there is two people there (at the table) with only one of them 'generating revenue' is an identical situation.

 

And in reality, the second person (doing the meal sharing) will likely generate some revenue. At the least a drink, soda, cup of coffee, etc.

will tell you also, that if you complain about this to someone other than the server, especially if you are known in a place, that's one of those fees that gets quickly discarded in the face of an unhappy customer.

Could be, but the only time we ever tried it, asking the manager to wave the extra plate fee, he refused, so we walked. Of course I'm sure different places are different.

[Matts_12GS]

I think the only way to make that point would be to hand the menu back before ordering and leave. I doubt that the restaurant would notice you if you never came back.

You're absolutely right, and since most places annotate that on their menus you can do that either a) while you're waiting in line if you ask to see a menu or b) when your server comes to do drink orders.

 

Why be difficult when, with a little effort, you can be truly impossible.

 

Californians...

[Ken H.]

Those that don't generally aren't spending enough money often enough to be worth the hassle.

What ever happened to the idea that all customers were "worth the hassle"? V.s. some minimum spending threshold where good service is worthwhile providing?

[Quinn]

The doggie bag tradition allows my wife to get two meals for the price of one. Almost always has enough boxed up for lunch at work the next day. If I have anything left over, she adds it to her's.

[AdventurePoser]

IOHO, portions in restaurants are normally too large, so we usually share. When the leftovers appear in the fridge they are usually snapped up for breakfast or lunch the next day!

 

Steve in So Cal

[KMG_365]

"Twisties is in trouble" . . . .

 

I just LOVE this crazy bunch of misfits!

[Matts_12GS]

What ever happened to the idea that all customers were "worth the hassle"? V.s. some minimum spending threshold where good service is worthwhile providing?

 

Ken, I think you're missing my point.

Every customer is worth good service. However, the customer who wants Ruth's Chris service at Shoney's prices and gets in a huff because they're asked to pay for the extra set of untensils and stuff they use, well, those people are not worth the costs they generate.

 

Those same people tend to a) tip poorly, b)treat staff badly which makes retention by the employer difficult and c) make life miserable for those patrons around them. There's a reason we reserve the right not to serve you.

 

If you choose my establishment to come in and part with your monies, I am grateful. However, each seat, much like each employee has to earn their keep.

 

Here's a typical scenario from my experiences. It's neither right nor wrong, just what I found as a typical event. YMMV

 

In my wine shop, I have two couples sitting at the bar. I know both couples, and am chatting with them both, shooting the breeze and hanging out. One customer is spending $100/bottle for wine the other is spending $12/bottle for wine. I'm not going to charge the $100 guy corkage because he's spent a substantial amount for a super premium bottle. The other couple gets charged a corkage because our threshold for no corkage was $50/bottle.

 

In this example, at a typical retail markup, 2 of my chairs are making much more than the others. All 4 customers enjoy the same ambiance and conversation, but one is costing me margin. That corkage fee on the lower priced bottle helps to even the score for me as the retailer.

 

Or, I could just be an evil prick giving favor to the well off and paying my rent of the backs of the little people.

[russell_bynum]

[ltljohn]

Twisties, I am having the rest of that giant burrito tonight, I will share, it's mine 'cause I put it in my refrigerator.

[Twisties]

Enjoy it John!

 

Was good to meet you.

[Bullett]

Umm, he probably doesn't need part of your burrito, 'cause he ate my leftover fajitas!