July 6, 2003
London restaurants serve "mineral water" fresh from the tap
The Sunday Times has done a bit of investigative reporting, and the London restaurants they visited didn't come off too well:
Thousands of consumers who order mineral water in restaurants are given filtered tap water and charged up to £4 a litre. It happens in top restaurants as well as in mid-ranking establishments. Diners who like still water are hit as hard as those who prefer it sparkling.Restaurants serving tap water in place of mineral water include Antony Worrall Thompson’s London eatery and 192, the brasserie in Notting Hill. Chains such as Belgo, the Belgian mussel house, and Jamie’s bars are also cashing in. . .
The restaurants install a filtration system to the mains water supply in their kitchens and the water is often served in flip-top reusable bottles stamped with their logo.
In all the restaurants visited by The Sunday Times last week, tap water was served after a specific request for “mineral water” and was charged at similar rates. Although none of the restaurants labelled the bottles as “mineral water”, which is a legally protected category, it is illegal not to tell customers that they are drinking tap water if mineral water has been requested. There was no such explanation in the restaurants visited, although the bottles were labelled “pure still water” or “pure sparkling water” with “table water” in small print.
Posted by David on July 6, 2003 9:58 PM
I've been working in a restaurant in London for 2 years and I'd like to explain why, in some cases, that "tap water" is sold as mineral water.
We serve like a 300 covers everyday, the majority of them they ask you for a glass of tap waterevery single time. I think there is some kind of fashion hidden after all of this. The todays customer wants to spend as less money as they can and that cannot just be tolerated. We serve them water, we clean those dirty glasses and they just don't spend a pence.
So, When you go to the table you ask them for "still" or "sparkling". The 95 % of them ask for the bloody glass of tap water. So, those people who ask for still they will always get TAP STILL WATER or purified water. Our restaurant will not sell any bottelled tap water to any one who ask for MINERAL water.
Posted by: Israel Ruano on December 19, 2004 10:22 PM
Comments to Israel Ruano.
Wow, man, I don't know who you are, but When I spend £50 at the notting hill brasserie, if I want mineral water or tap whater you just give me what I want or you lose a customer, capisce? You need to learn a thing or 2 about business and marketing, actually, no, you don't need this, you just need to learn about customer service. Get a course my friend. From now on I will never ask for mineral water in restaurants. (i'll stick to martinis) :)
Posted by: Guillaume Orhant on April 16, 2005 9:45 AM
Excume me mate but its not a customer service thing.
Our restaurant gives an excellent customer service so our customers say and we are one of most popular restaurants in our area.
I was just saying why some restaurants are selling that water as "mineral water". As I pointed before, we WILL NOT sell any purified water to those who ask for STILL MINERAL WATER but who ask for still water we will, of course, sell them purified water.
However, my friend, this is all about business. I still don't agree with "tap water is free" cause it aint free. Water is not free. We pay Thames water for it, the glass aint free neither and of course the time our waiters spend taking it to the table isn't for free.
It just a matter of culture I guess but because of the bloody tap water we all restaureurs lose money. Got it?
Posted by: Israel Ruano on November 26, 2005 11:26 PM
Dear Israel, Some restaurants in US charge 20 cents for a cup of water. No one is expecting restaurants to serve water for free. They should estimate the cost and charge for it. Pure business sense.
Posted by: Sagar on August 7, 2006 12:43 PM
Dear Israel and dear Sagar, Guillaume is right, you really need a bit of a course in business or marketing. I suspect you don't exactly have a degree in business...
Here it goes: you charge 20 cents, or even 50 p for a glass of water. Customer gets pissed off - you lose customer as he goes to competition. Simple, basic. Lesson 1 chapter A.
Unit cost of acquiring new customer through marketing activity : your 20 cents X 100
Unit cost of acquiring a pissed off customer? Forget it, you're better off trying to focus on new ones.
Acquisition Vs Retention? Well, if you don't hold to your dear customers, guess what you'll have to fight word of mouth this time, and that's going to be a whole different ball game and a much more expensive one.
I love the fact that you're already fighting with Guillaume, a customer, potentially yours, calling him 'mate' and telling hom he's wrong. Fabulous. I don't think you'll get him to go to your restaurant! And I'm not gong there either. Good luck with your charginf scheme! :D
Posted by: Jay Grand on October 23, 2008 1:21 PM
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