Japanese Restaurant Charging for Uneaten Food

Hayashi Ya, a Japanese restaurant on the Upper West Side, charges $26.95 for their all-you-can-eat menu, but if you don't eat every last bite, they slap on a 3% charge. This raised eyebrows at WCBS, and reporter Kristin Cole trooped over there to measure the outrage. Only everybody seems pretty okay with it; diners insist it "helps with their waistlines," and the manager says it helps "with the restaurant's bottom line." Er, anyway, compared to the penalties at other restaurants—like that place in The Great Outdoors that was going to charge John Candy the full price of a 96-ounce steak if didn't eat all the gristle and fat—3% of $26.95 seems reasonable. Plus, according to WCBS, one in six Americans can't afford enough food, while an estimated 27 percent of all food in the country ends up in the trash. To get involved locally, here are links to the Food Bank For New York and City Harvest.

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By John Del Signore in Food on December 9, 2008 11:15 AM

Comments [rss]

csk

I called the restaurant and it's confirmed at 30%. More douchebaggery folks.

nivek

It's hard for people to understand why not cleaning up after yourself would cause you to get charged, when manners here dictate that you shouldn't clean up your plate. Amazing isn't it? Well guess what, this manner is bad, outdated, and it needs to go.

dogbraincatscan

it IS 30%...check the 0s, man. there are 3: one in 30 and 2 at either end of the % slash

ash_sea

This is actually a common thing in Asian countries at all you can eat buffets. It really makes you think about what you eat, and your portion sizes. I think its great!

NannyState

All you can eat sushi = contradiction in terms.

7train

#15 if you don't wanna tip, don't eat out, it's that simple!

7train

Great idea! Far too much food is wasted in this country of fat asses. Didn't you guys' mom teach: "don't help yourself to big portions if you're not gonna eat it"?

whitecastlerock

Burger King has a wonderful dollar menu. You can eat until you explode for under $5.

fishfryin

csk- ignoring the fact that the picture actually does say 3%, if someone didn't see an accompanying picture they wouldn't be illiterate...douchebag!

matukonyc

I've been eating at "all you can eat sushi" here since the 80's and all restaurants I went to charged for uneaten food.

Colochita

The picture says 3%. There is a small ambiguous blob near the top of the slashmark that might suggest it is the o part of the percent sign, thereby leaving the larger o as the 0 in 30, but that would be pretty odd sizing and placement.

Anyway, I'm sure WCBS factchecked when their reporter "trooped" down there.

Also, is all the namecalling necessary? Why so angry?

csk

Politburo, come again? Look at the picture, ya douchebag!

aa1158

Yuka on UES charges too I think.

Politburo

csk you really should double check things before calling people illiterate...

Spirit of 76

Makes plenty of sense to me. I've been to buffet places where so many people had eyes lots bigger than their stomachs. Guys, it's all you can eat. Just take smaller loads on your plate, especially as you start feeling full, and you won't have any problems. If you're still hungry, you can always go back for more.

csk

Does it take 27 comments to realize that it's 30%, not 3%? You're all a bunch of illiterates!

solidago

I thought this was standard practice for every all you can eat sushi place. It makes sense, and the charge is a pittance.

Thespis

Nothing wrong with this -- and no one seems to mind except the reporter.

My only concern would be if you were to take two small rolls of unknown design because they looked like tuna -- only to find out that they're pickled octopus loaf or something -- and then only eat one. (But I'm guessing they apply the rule with common sense and understand what an uneaten pickled octopus roll means -- so even then I doubt there'd be anything to complain about.)

Qraymond

I think this is an excellent idea. I fully support it. People should pay for wasting food.

ed_Extinct

What's even more perplexing, on their site they have the address for 857 9th Avenue at 56th Street, but have this below it:

Subway: B,C at 81 Street, 1,2,3 at Broadway

If they want the correct subway, they would have to put:

Columbus Circle at 59th Street

Subway: A,B,C,D,1

More stupid people.