cash only resto plague
didn't mind the cash only shops when i first moved here -- seemed sort of quaint -- but now that it's not just the old school joints but the new ones (cheryll's, pequena) who are essentially passing off extra charges and inconveniences off onto customers well i'm not so enamored. what do do (besides whine here)? i dunno. stopping going to said establishments seems extreme. talking to management / owner about the practice seems unproductive. reducing tip amount by some figure (ATM service fee or 2/3 percent) seems like a dick move. other ideas? alternate ways of viewing the situation?
Comments
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If a store takes credit cards, it has to pay fees on each purchase (or on it's total sales per month, depending on the agreement).
It also, ahem, has a greater difficulty under-reporting it's income for tax purposes
(hypothetically, of course) -
yeah, your anti-restaurant-ism is sort of disturbing. petition the rapacious credit card companies, don't stop going to restaurants that serve the best food. that's insane.
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View accepted forms of payment as a part of the entire package and make your decision accordingly. I'm not a cash person and, at this point, Chevella's is the only cash-only place that I regularly patronize. If I happen to have cash, fine, there's a few other places that I'll hit up, but I'm not taking on ATM fees any more than necessary.
Usually, the decision behind accepting cards (or not) is purely financial - show them the other side of the equation. Next time you're at one of the places that doesn't take cards, mention, "I order from here X times per week/month/whatever, but if you guys took cards, I'd order twice as often/three times as often/every friggin' day." -
yeah its ridiculous, but i'm a cash person, I love the credit card option just in case if I ran out of cash. It should be part of doing business.
I'm part of that cash culture but even most stores part of cash culture accept credit cards and people rarely use em. yet in rich/ yuppified areas i see more cash only places than the cash culture places like immigrant neighborhoods i hail from.
that always mystified me. -
I'm ok with the cash places
C.Cards companies charge way to much for their services.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interchange_rate
paying for rent in NYC is insane so I can't even imagine what it cost to lease a store front.
I would rather restaurants cut corners to save money by opting out on C.Cards then the quality of their product.
I lived in low income area since I moved to NYC cause frankly I couldn't afford anything else.
a lof of places accepted C.Cards but i'm assuming its because more are likely to use credit cards when making purchases in low income areas then it higher income areas.
I've noticed a lot of ma and pa places in Europe are also doing Cash only its smart it makes since in the long run they are helping you. Why pay $1.25 for a loaf of bread that would have cost you .99 cent if you paid cash -
If by "cheryll's" you mean Cheryl's Global Soul, I ate there yesterday and they definitely accept credit cards.
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Keep in mind that for most of America a night out is going to Chilis or Olive Garden, not Cheryl's or Chavella's.
In fact, your best alternative is to limit your dining experiences to franchise restaurants who have more collective bargaining power with the credit card companies and processors, and to steer clear of small independent restaurants that can't shoulder the credit card fees so easily (without raising their prices across the board). -
krowonhill wrote:
Maybe it's the food snob in me that's saying this, but there's many people on here that wouldn't EVER cross the threshold of a chain restaurant in the city. :pukel:
In fact, your best alternative is to limit your dining experiences to franchise restaurants who have more collective bargaining power with the credit card companies and processors, and to steer clear of small independent restaurants that can't shoulder the credit card fees so easily (without raising their prices across the board).
How can one possibly go to a chain in one of the most wonderful culinary destinations in the world?!?!? -
krowonhill wrote: Keep in mind that for most of America a night out is going to Chilis or Olive Garden, not Cheryl's or Chavella's.
In fact, your best alternative is to limit your dining experiences to franchise restaurants who have more collective bargaining power with the credit card companies and processors, and to steer clear of small independent restaurants that can't shoulder the credit card fees so easily (without raising their prices across the board).
I'm assuming the sarcasm here is so dry that it needs a good dusting. -
A lot of the cash only places have low prices and margins and don't want to eat the interchange fees, or really long established businesses that don't see the need (e.g. Tom's). There might be some underreporting of income and sales tax going on, but the IRS and the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance have computer programs that red flag restaurants (and other businesses) that report lower revenues than their nearby competitors.
There are a lot of restaurants in NYC, if you prefer to pay by card, there are still a lot of options. -
I could do cash at Chavela's, but it's ridiculous when a pricey fine dinning place does that. Your bill for just 2 pp easily jumps over $100.
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Mamacita wrote: I could do cash at Chavela's, but it's ridiculous when a pricey fine dinning place does that. Your bill for just 2 pp easily jumps over $100.
I agree, once the prices are heading as high as Chavela's, it's time to be taking cards. Chavela's is probably thinking at the moment they're so busy that they can afford to turn away people who don't want to pay cash. That may change. For what it's worth, I've eaten there once, wasn't impressed, my partner sent his entree back, we won't be going back. We prefer the Burrito Bar & Kitchen on Flatbush. -
longtime question "who eats at burrito bar?", now answered.
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bohuma wrote: [quote=Mamacita]I could do cash at Chavela's, but it's ridiculous when a pricey fine dinning place does that. Your bill for just 2 pp easily jumps over $100.
I agree, once the prices are heading as high as Chavela's, it's time to be taking cards. Chavela's is probably thinking at the moment they're so busy that they can afford to turn away people who don't want to pay cash. That may change. For what it's worth, I've eaten there once, wasn't impressed, my partner sent his entree back, we won't be going back. We prefer the Burrito Bar & Kitchen on Flatbush.
Sorry I wrote that too fast and didn't make it clear. There are even MORE expensive places that only do cash. Convivium is cash only, except for American express and who has one of those (Don't answer, I don't want to know).... -
how the hell do two people spend $100 @ chavellas
http://www.chavellas.com/
the most expensive plate is $18.50
I haven't been there in the last year cause I moved out of that area but I think the most I have ever spent with a few drinks was like $50 including tip
I thought that place was pretty cheap -
correct. The Mamacita was stating something like:
Chavellas = cheap = cash not a problem
However,
fancy places = not cheap = cash is problem.
....not even I could do $100 of chavellas food. ...Even if I was really hungry. -
Although I like the convenience of being able to pay with a credit/debit card, I understand that the costs of offering that service can be substantial (especially for a smaller business). If you're a little restaurant that regularly fills all of your tables anyways, accepting credit cards might not have much benefit (if any). Luckily, I live close to my bank so I can withdraw money without a service fee when I know I'm going to a cash-only establishment.
bohuma wrote: We prefer the Burrito Bar & Kitchen on Flatbush.
:shock:
I had the exact opposite experience. Went to the Burrito Bar & Kitchen once, and decided the food was too mediocre for as much as they are charging. Chavella's is cheaper and, to me at least, much, much tastier.
ETA: Also, I prefer the atmosphere of Chavella's; the night I went to Burrito Bar & Kitchen it was too loud to have a conversation (not sure if that's normal there or not, but from my walks by I'd say it seems to be the MO). -
krowonhill wrote: Keep in mind that for most of America a night out is going to Chilis or Olive Garden, not Cheryl's or Chavella's.
No sarcasm. Just a reminder of the options that we have as Brooklynites, that most of the country doesn't. Yes, we have it pretty darn good, since we can choose to go to a great neighborhood restaurant and pay cash or to a corporate-owned chain where they accept credit cards. Let's count our blessings.
In fact, your best alternative is to limit your dining experiences to franchise restaurants who have more collective bargaining power with the credit card companies and processors, and to steer clear of small independent restaurants that can't shoulder the credit card fees so easily (without raising their prices across the board). -
I appreciate the fact that places like Maya take cards, even if it means a small surcharge under a certain dollar amount. I'm always a couple bucks short of that amount ($15? $20? I forget), but then I add chips and guac and it's good to go.
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WhyFi wrote: I appreciate the fact that places like Maya take cards, even if it means a small surcharge under a certain dollar amount. I'm always a couple bucks short of that amount ($15? $20? I forget), but then I add chips and guac and it's good to go.
Surely some litigious, overweight american will realize this is a gold mine.
"Your honor,
by putting a minimum on credit card charges, my client was given an incentive to buy more, and is thus entitled to $10 million as a result of gaining weight" -
If you choose to eat at a restaurant that takes credit cards, you are paying for it.
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I am ok with restaurants being cash only - because I go in for ONE meal at a time and so if I see that sign/know ahead of time, I'll get cash.
My problem is with bars (Franklin Park, Weather Up...) because I SAY I'm going for 1 drink and usually end with 3...but if I could just leave a card I would drink until I wanted to stop drinking, not when my cash is run out.
I think that taking credit cards with a minimum (of like $20 or something) at bars should be a given - I will spend at least $20 (and if I don't, I'll use cash) if not more AND I won't thinking about what I'm spending as much as I go up for more drinks. Therefore I'll drink more.
I know it costs them something, but then charge it to me! Pulp&Bean charges a surcharge for cards under $10 -- and if I have NO cash and haven't made it to my bank, their surcharge is still less than an ATM fee. I'll gladly pay it. -
ah, the old "gas costs $2.99 a gallon if you pay cash, $3.09 for credit".
the credit card companies make vendors sign agreements now, that prohibit them from doing this.
...I think even the gas stations have stopped. -
whynot_31 wrote: ah, the old "gas costs $2.99 a gallon if you pay cash, $3.09 for credit".
Yeah, vendors are not supposed to establish minimums or ask for your I.D., but I understand why so many small businesses have minimum charge amounts even though I imagine they could get in some trouble for it.
the credit card companies make vendors sign agreements now, that prohibit them from doing this.
...I think even the gas stations have stopped. -
WhyFi wrote: I appreciate the fact that places like Maya take cards, even if it means a small surcharge under a certain dollar amount. I'm always a couple bucks short of that amount ($15? $20? I forget), but then I add chips and guac and it's good to go.
they stopped with the c.cards i was there on Sat.
it was costing to much money -
Ultimately, it is a merchant's decision whether or not to take credit cards. The thing that annoys me the most is when there is a sign on the door indicating that they take American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa, you go in and when it comes time to pay, they say they don't take cards or the particular one you have with you, and sure enough, they've had their charging privileges revoked for scamming customers. Or they use those folders for the check that indicate American Express or Visa but they don't accept that card. It's false advertising, but it doesn't get the bill paid, and stiffing the server for the tip doesn't affect the proprietor.
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whynot_31 wrote: ah, the old "gas costs $2.99 a gallon if you pay cash, $3.09 for credit".
Not sure about companies making vendors sign agreements, but California has an actual law that prohibits customer fees of any kind for credit card use.
the credit card companies make vendors sign agreements now, that prohibit them from doing this.
...I think even the gas stations have stopped. -
If you check around on the web, you'll find descriptions of the merchant agreements credit card companies use. Merchants have to take all cards and are not allowed to charge different prices. Some countries have used legislation to change this, but the card companies hate it. You may recall that there was a big court case between Wal-Mart and Visa & Mastercard over the interchange fee and debit cards. Wal-Mart argued that one of the reasons for the interchange fee was that the bank was accepting the credit risk, which is non-existent with debit cards. So now there is a lower interchange fee for debit cards (slightly higher for rewards debit cards). They still have to accept all cards and can't charge a different price for Visa/Mastercard/American Express/Discover.
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Subject: Maya Taqueria
maybe Maya stopped taking CCs (I always use cash there) but when they started charging for throwing a few chips in the burrito bag and for a little extra salsa (while I decline several other ingredients that could be in the burrito, thus saving them money), it turned me off in a big way. -
Cash only is just another good way to say phuk you to local government. The taxes uncollected effect everything(trash collection,schools,streets,police) wonder what everybody will think after the clothing tax is reinstated or when they tax a pack of smokes so much that there is no revenue to be had. ATM fees are not any part of this ,it is making your business and it's output appear as small to government as possible. Amazing that small business people have to exclude 1000's of customers in order to save themselves from the tax sucking devils. Every cafe would love to take credit cards if some silly bank fees were all they really had to pay.NY tax burden is more than 50 cents of every dollar earned.
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