Restaurant Check Large Money Dining People Bottle Problem

When you eat at a restaurant in the United States, you might be surprised to see that your restaurant check includes "charges" (costs) for things "other than" (that are not) the food and drinks that you ordered. Some of these additional charges may include taxes, corkage fees, and tips for large parties.

Many cities have "dining taxes" and customers are charged a percentage of the cost of their meal as a "tax" (money that is given to the government). The dining tax is usually just a few percentages, but it will make your meal more expensive. The dining tax "revenues," or the money that the government earns from the dining tax, is usually used for city government programs, and is sometimes used to help poor people who don't have enough money to buy food.

Another common charge on a restaurant check is a "corking fee." Sometimes people like to bring a favorite bottle of wine to a restaurant to enjoy with their meal, rather than buy a bottle of wine from the restaurant. Some restaurants will allow this, but will charge a "corking fee" for opening and "pouring" (moving the bottle so that the liquid falls out) the wine.

Finally, when "diners" (the people who eat at a restaurant) are in a large group, usually of eight or more people, the restaurant check may include a "tip for large parties." In the United States, restaurants expect diners to pay about 15% "tip" (extra money for service) to the waiter or waitress. Waiters and waitresses are usually paid a small hourly rate and are expected to rely mainly on tips for their earnings. Large groups can be even more work for the waiters and waitresses, and diners often "under-tip" (pay less than the expected 15%), so the restaurant includes a "mandatory" (required) tip for large parties, so that they cannot leave without paying the tip for the service they've received.