How to handle a large bill at dinner?

[xospec1alk]

yeh split evenly with the group. and a few extra bucks here and there for extra drinks shouldn't matter...in the end it'll be miniscule

 

[richardycc]

have someone to go around the table and ask each person what they had and round up their bill to the nearest dollar including the tax and tips. It's not pretty and not quick,but it works.

 

[eakers]

usually when we go to a restaurant with a large group the waitress will put in 25 seperate orders (or however many ways you want it split) and then just put what people order on their bill. typically they do this by numbering the seats and then giving check number to seat number...

 

[Jhill]

When everyone is seated and before the waitress takes your order just stand up and get everyones attention and say,

"listen up BITCHES, last time we went out you guys screwed me and I had to pay a lot more than my share, if it happens again I'll fu@king kill everyone here. enjoy your meal"

 

[PHiuR]

Originally posted by: Jhill
When everyone is seated and before the waitress takes your order just stand up and get everyones attention and say,

"listen up BITCHES, last time we went out you guys screwed me and I had to pay a lot more than my share, if it happens again I'll fu@king kill everyone here. enjoy your meal"

hellll yeahhhhh

i know what you mean though...i don't think theres a quick fix to this cause theres always people that won't pay their full amt + TIP/tax

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: torpid
Erm... Are you sure? Or were you referring to the cafe menu? Or did you split one menu item and leave a grossly low tip?

$28 for an entree is NOT AT ALL unusual. Most of the best restaurants here in Madison, WI (aka not that fancy of a city) charge around that, if not more.

whoa! Yeah, we must have eaten at the cafe. Best food I've EVER had, though.

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: nitsuj3580
if anything whenever we do things in large groups, we have too much money. Most people just throw in $20's and say don't worry about it when they only had to throw in $12-15. The waitress usually get a very generous tip since none of us really care to get nitpicky about it.

Been lucky, been that way too for me with either co-workers or friends -- the waitress gets a huge tip and there's nothing wrong with making somebody's day like that. Good karma 'n all.

I do remember once way back in the day -- a group of 12 of us riding in and driving these four specially built airport trucks from the West Coast the East Coast. We stopped for lunch the first time in Nevada and this cute English girl announced that everyone should slide her money and she'd pay. This was an incredibly ragged group of strangers and I knew what was coming so I stayed behind and sure enough, she was screwed. So I helped out and later, I got laid! Again, good karma 'n all.

 

[Confused]

Just all enjoy the night out and split the meal equally between everyone who goes.

I can't stand it when some people argue that they only had an orange juice while someone else had a beer and someone else had a desert but they didn't.


If you can't just split it evenly without argueing I don't want you coming out with us, you make it a PITA for everyone else.



Confused

 

[DBL]

Originally posted by: Confused
Just all enjoy the night out and split the meal equally between everyone who goes.

I can't stand it when some people argue that they only had an orange juice while someone else had a beer and someone else had a desert but they didn't.


If you can't just split it evenly without argueing I don't want you coming out with us, you make it a PITA for everyone else.

Confused

Agreed. Split it evenly. If you?re that uptight over the possibility of paying an extra $5, then you probably shouldn't be eating out to begin with.

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: DBL

Originally posted by: Confused
Just all enjoy the night out and split the meal equally between everyone who goes.

I can't stand it when some people argue that they only had an orange juice while someone else had a beer and someone else had a desert but they didn't.


If you can't just split it evenly without argueing I don't want you coming out with us, you make it a PITA for everyone else.

Confused

Agreed. Split it evenly. If you?re that uptight over the possibility of paying an extra $5, then you probably shouldn't be eating out to begin with.

Erm... well, if one guy always orders more than everyone else, it becomes annoying after a while.

 

[OffTopic1]

Originally posted by: His Lord Uberdude
Pay for the extra, and stop looking like a scrooge. :thumbsup:

Since it is your party, does it matter that you have to add $100~200 from your pocket?

If you have a party at your home, you would be at the very least be out $200-300 plus you have to clean up.

 

[ragazzo]

each table should have a check, so the people can monitor themselves heh.

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: bobbybe01
Offer teh sex to the waitress?

I tried that. She's still laughing.

 

[Plasdom]

if you're throwing the party are you not responsible for the food and drinks? Or is it just me?

 

[cavemanmoron]

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: MrChad
Your options are:

1. Separate checks
2. Split the check evenly among all 25 people

:thumbsup:

 

[Blastomyces]

Just to reiterate, your friends are cheap aholes. Whenver I'm in a group we always end up leaving the waiter with a huge tip. And if youre worried about being out an extra $2 because you ordered a juice and someone else a beer, then suck it up and remember you're the one who's throwing the party.

 

[Childs]

If you are throwing a party shouldn't you pick up the check?

 

[brigden]

Originally posted by: Blastomyces
Just to reiterate, your friends are cheap aholes. Whenver I'm in a group we always end up leaving the waiter with a huge tip. And if youre worried about being out an extra $2 because you ordered a juice and someone else a beer, then suck it up and remember you're the one who's throwing the party.

Good advice. Don't pinch pennies when going out, people. If you want to save mone, invest in a piggy bank and sort out your long distance plan.

I hate cheap people. It's a character flaw, not a financial issue.

 

[dr150]

Pretend to go to the bathroom..............then RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[JustAnAverageGuy]

Originally posted by: Injury
:thumbsup:

They might not like the idea of seperate checks, but if you call ahead and let them know you are coming with a large group and that you would like seperate checks, they won't be pissed.

People who work in restaurants don't mind large orders or large parties as long as you give them warning equivlent to the size of the situation. Showing up with out any previous contact with a group of 25 really fouls things up for EVERYONE in the restaurant, so likewise they are angry. Calling ahead a day or two and letting them know, and confirming in the morning might seem stupid, but it makes things so much better. They can plan on having on or two people on their wait staff tied up with your table(s), have some tables set aside, and can call in an extra staff member or two if need be.

When I used to work at a restaurant, we'd give a 10% discount on large parties if they called ahead just because it was so much easier for us to serve them faster and get organized. That's basically like saying the restaurant is covering the tip, which at a big restaurant can be upwords of 30 to 50 bucks off for party that size.

Good advice.

 

[bacon333]

Well this party is really more of a get-to-together for my birthday so...yeah...

Thanks for all the replies. I called in to ask if they can seperate the checks 2 days in advance and they said "no". So I'll go with the split the check between tables idea.

I'll follow up and let ya know how it turned out.

 

[bacon333]

They didn't allow split checks between people or tables. Groups of 8 or more gets one check (policy at Joe's Crab Shack). the bill ended up about $40 short so a few of my friends chipped in and paid it off. Not too bad.

 

[richardycc]

Originally posted by: bacon333
They didn't allow split checks between people or tables. Groups of 8 or more gets one check (policy at Joe's Crab Shack). the bill ended up about $40 short so a few of my friends chipped in and paid it off. Not too bad.

$40 short? man, you have cheap a$$ friends. when we go out to eat as a big group, we usually ended up with a lot more money to cover the bill and enough and sometimes too much money left for tips.

 

[Zombie]

hmm, I thought if your throw the party you pay the bill.

 

[kranky]

This thread hit close to home. My wife went out with 9 other women friends for a birthday dinner on Friday. When the check came (they didn't ask to split up the checks), the women started on the "I had one drink plus a sandwich and dessert, you had an appetizer plus two drinks, she didn't get coffee...etc., etc.".

My wife grabbed the check, did some quick calculations, and announced everyone owed $23. That solved the problem. Over the weekend a couple of them called and thanked her for taking charge and deciding how to settle the check. If she hadn't, they'd still be there trying to figure out how to split it up "fairly".