No Ketchup, No Water- Ask And You Shall Receive

A member on FF posted a thread about the lack of condiments whilst dining out being available on the table.

I suppose I've noticed that around here at some places, but most diners still have all the condiments right there.. and the Mexican places have a trio of different bottled sauces.

Bob Evans no longer have ketchup bottles, never mind salt shakers on the tables.
You have to ask for a bottle of ketchup if you want it.

Don't even get me started on that nice little glass of water the waitress would bring you before taking your order.
I went out for an early breakfast last month (forgetting to take my beta-blocker, I have MVP).. anyway.. I had to ask for a glass of water so I could take my pill.

Is there a restaurant rationing going on, and does it have to do with the times we're living in?
Have we lost the typical warm fuzzy feel of dining out and feeling served?

Discuss, or not.

I have heard that during the depression a lot of cafe's stopped serving ketsup because people would steal the bottle --- and make tomato soup with it.

Sass Muffin said:

A member on FF posted a thread about the lack of condiments whilst dining out being available on the table.

I suppose I've noticed that around here at some places, but most diners still have all the condiments right there.. and the Mexican places have a trio of different bottled sauces.

Bob Evans no longer have ketchup bottles, never mind salt shakers on the tables.
You have to ask for a bottle of ketchup if you want it.

Don't even get me started on that nice little glass of water the waitress would bring you before taking your order.
I went out for an early breakfast last month (forgetting to take my beta-blocker, I have MVP).. anyway.. I had to ask for a glass of water so I could take my pill.

Is there a restaurant rationing going on, and does it have to do with the times we're living in?
Have we lost the typical warm fuzzy feel of dining out and feeling served?

Discuss, or not.

Click to expand...

I haven't found that to be the case here. Bob Evans still has the ketchup and salt and pepper shakers along with an assortment of jam/jelly.......other restaurants we frequent all have the condiments too. So far any way. lolo Most place out here will "ask" if you want water but don't bring it automatically.

McDonalds and a couple other fast food places has stopped putting out plastic utensils. They give you what you need when you order and there are none extra setting out.

homecook said:

I haven't found that to be the case here. Bob Evans still has the ketchup and salt and pepper shakers along with an assortment of jam/jelly.......other restaurants we frequent all have the condiments too. So far any way. lolo Most place out here will "ask" if you want water but don't bring it automatically.

Click to expand...

The only places I can think of that actually have the ketchup.. s&p on the table is Happy Daz and Lester's Diner.

As for Bob Evans, all they have sitting on the table is that flip card thing, hawking their specials and desserts.

Fast food places-- remember when you'd pull up to Burger King or McDonald's and they'd throw 16 packets of ketchup in the bag for a small order of fries?
Most of those ended up in the console or the glove compartment lol

I asked for extra ketchup going through the drive-thru not long ago, and I got 2.
Well, that was extra!??!

I walked into Popeyes a while back to get a family meal to go and had to ask for napkins. There were no napkin dispensers anywhere in the dinning room....that's just ridiculous...and in a fried chicken joint no less.....geez....

I forget where I was , Publix maybe? well anyway , I felt a low BG coming on & needed a small drink . They charged me for the cup & the ICE!

Automatic glass of water has gone by the wayside... as a cost cutting/conservation matter. It started happening years ago. As far as charging for the cup, many places charge for a regular cup, many offer a different, cheaper cup for free. The cup is one way they take inventory.

Restaurants around here still have salt, pepper, sugar bowls (bottle of sugar or packets, sugar sub IHOP down the road has all the sugar sub EXCEPT Splenda out. You have they keep the splenda locked up because they say people steal it LOL), some put water out some you need to ask for it. The fast food places charge for extra condiments and complain when you ask for extra napkins.

Theft is one of the problems with leaving condiments on a table. It costs money to give glasses of water to diners - the labour to pour and deliver it, the labour to wash the glass, the expense to run the dishwasher (soap and electricity, not to mention water). When a customer has a free glass of water, there is no need to pay for a beverage, either.
I've got mustard, mayo and ketchup PCs available for customers. Same thing with creamers and sugars. I cannot tell you how many tables we bus that have about half a dozen unused packets left on the table. People seem to believe that it's okay to take a huge handful of mayo PCs, when 2 is really all they needed.
When something is available for a customer to take what they need, I can honestly say, most take more than they require. I don't know if it's just laziness about having to get up again, or if people just feel they are entitled to whatever they want.
The national food cost index has risen each year for the past...well, forever. Lately, it's been approx. a 6% increase each year (produce, dairy, meat and poultry) yet most restaurants are not raising their prices anywhere near that amount. Owners have to get creative when it comes to shaving loss.
As for only two ketchups when you requested more...I bet that person just forgot.

I have to admit that back in my poor college days, when I was low on ketchup,
mustard, Worchestershire sauce, hot sauce or A-1, it was time for a trip to
the local Western Sizzlin. I splurged on a cheap dinner and restocked my
condiments.

Personally, I support not giving glasses of water unless asked. Waste of water, both
in the glass and for washing it. I do think that it should be on the menu to just ask.

However, I have never ever EVER taken too many Taco Bell sauce packets. I mean,
3 of each flavor for each item ordered is fine, right?

Kimchee said:

I have to admit that back in my poor college days, when I was low on ketchup,
mustard, Worchestershire sauce, hot sauce or A-1, it was time for a trip to
the local Western Sizzlin. I splurged on a cheap dinner and restocked my
condiments.

Personally, I support not giving glasses of water unless asked. Waste of water, both
in the glass and for washing it. I do think that it should be on the menu to just ask.

However, I have never ever EVER taken too many Taco Bell sauce packets. I mean,
3 of each flavor for each item ordered is fine, right?

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i was wondering if anyone would step up. I know folks who haven't bought condiments for yrs. Or salt & pepper . salt shakers,those knives at Outback. sauce dishes. metal butter dishes. Glass's galore. I know folks who have loads of cloth napkins & candles too.

I have lots of friends in low places

yes when I would go to those places I took handfulls. I don't think I ever bought soy sauce. Yes taco sauce lots of taco sauce. However I do buy it now