logo
  • Kenya

    Kenya

    Kenyan, four foreigners killed in Londiani plane crash
    • 2/13/2019 7:56:24 PM
    • 37

    Kenyan, four foreigners killed in Londiani plane crash

    Robert Ouko murder: Fear still stalks Koru, 29 years later
    • 2/13/2019 5:47:14 AM
    • 25

    Robert Ouko murder: Fear still stalks Koru, 29 years later

    MPs threaten to blacklist OT-Morpho from Kenyan tenders
    • 2/13/2019 11:34:58 AM
    • 16

    MPs threaten to blacklist OT-Morpho from Kenyan tenders

    Top court to seal Governor Mohamed Abdi's fate on Friday
    • 2/12/2019 12:17:27 PM
    • 13

    Top court to seal Governor Mohamed Abdi's fate on Friday

  • World

    World

    Robbers rape bank staff in Kampala raid
    • 2/13/2019 7:19:08 AM
    • 9

    Robbers rape bank staff in Kampala raid

    May accused of playing 'chicken' with Brexit talks
    • 2/13/2019 8:10:28 AM
    • 6

    May accused of playing 'chicken' with Brexit talks

    Hundred children die in DR Congo measles outbreak
    • 2/13/2019 9:28:30 PM
    • 6

    Hundred children die in DR Congo measles outbreak

    'El Chapo' leaves a void in Badiraguato, his hometown
    • 2/13/2019 11:00:37 PM
    • 5

    'El Chapo' leaves a void in Badiraguato, his hometown

  • Business

    Business

    It's finished: Ebrahim Supermarket owner throws in the towel
    • 2/13/2019 10:23:21 AM
    • 5

    It's finished: Ebrahim Supermarket owner throws in the towel

    CAK orders Total's anti-competition clauses expunged
    • 2/13/2019 9:59:13 PM
    • 5

    CAK orders Total's anti-competition clauses expunged

    Korean Sh10bn Konza university to open in 2021
    • 2/13/2019 9:59:24 PM
    • 5

    Korean Sh10bn Konza university to open in 2021

    Airbus to stop producing A380 jet as orders dry up
    • 2/14/2019 10:52:16 AM
    • 5

    Airbus to stop producing A380 jet as orders dry up

  • Sport

    Sport

    Ex- Gor Mahia striker floors Al Ahly
    • 2/12/2019 8:44:40 PM
    • 7

    Ex- Gor Mahia striker floors Al Ahly

    New girls Kisumu Rugby out for experience in KRU Women's Festivals
    • 2/12/2019 12:02:05 PM
    • 5

    New girls Kisumu Rugby out for experience in KRU Women's Festivals

    Sala's body to be returned to Argentina on Friday
    • 2/13/2019 1:26:22 AM
    • 5

    Sala's body to be returned to Argentina on Friday

    Former All Black Nonu dreaming of World Cup comeback
    • 2/12/2019 12:17:37 PM
    • 4

    Former All Black Nonu dreaming of World Cup comeback

  • Entertainment

    Entertainment

    Godzilla: Celebrated Tanzanian rapper dies suddenly
    • 2/13/2019 11:01:19 PM
    • 10

    Godzilla: Celebrated Tanzanian rapper dies suddenly

    Police release video of suspect in Nairobi explosion
    • 2/13/2019 5:23:05 PM
    • 9

    Police release video of suspect in Nairobi explosion

  • Politics

    Politics

    Kanu picks Ibrahim Sheikh for Wajir West seat by-election
    • 2/12/2019 5:29:55 PM
    • 9

    Kanu picks Ibrahim Sheikh for Wajir West seat by-election

    Catholic clergy should join politics, serve nation acutely in need of their service
    • 2/12/2019 10:11:42 PM
    • 5

    Catholic clergy should join politics, serve nation acutely in need of their service

    Ibrahim Sheikh to fly Kanu flag in Wajir West by-election
    • 2/12/2019 5:57:23 PM
    • 3

    Ibrahim Sheikh to fly Kanu flag in Wajir West by-election

    Fresh headache for Ruto as leaders rally against his 2022 bid
    • 2/12/2019 5:57:59 PM
    • 3

    Fresh headache for Ruto as leaders rally against his 2022 bid

  • Opinion

    Opinion

    Time we promoted traditional foods
    • 2/13/2019 10:59:08 PM
    • 80

    Time we promoted traditional foods

    Chaos at AU, and the fruits of walking next to Uhuru
    • 2/13/2019 10:58:47 PM
    • 4

    Chaos at AU, and the fruits of walking next to Uhuru

    Beware, technology may erode labour rights
    • 2/12/2019 10:12:03 PM
    • 3

    Beware, technology may erode labour rights

    Suing bankers over NYS scam in bad system won't end problems
    • 2/13/2019 1:10:44 AM
    • 3

    Suing bankers over NYS scam in bad system won't end problems

  • Lifestyle

    Lifestyle

    Investors set up 'shopping centres' to woo more gated community property buyers
    • 2/14/2019 10:21:30 AM
    • 11

    Investors set up 'shopping centres' to woo more gated community property buyers

    Kori's mistress Judy Wangui hawked eggs before 'striking it rich'
    • 2/13/2019 6:02:23 AM
    • 10

    Kori's mistress Judy Wangui hawked eggs before 'striking it rich'

    MAN IN THE HOOD: When a landlord messed up my Valentine's Day...
    • 2/13/2019 10:13:09 AM
    • 6

    MAN IN THE HOOD: When a landlord messed up my Valentine's Day...

    How to celebrate Valentine's Day on a budget
    • 2/13/2019 2:08:28 PM
    • 6

    How to celebrate Valentine's Day on a budget

  • Video

    Video

    Kenyan School Girls Kanyaga lami challenge
    • 2/13/2019 2:21:32 PM
    • 19

    Kenyan School Girls Kanyaga lami challenge

    Desagu na Bet Ya Man City 6 Chelsea 0
    • 2/12/2019 5:07:42 PM
    • 16

    Desagu na Bet Ya Man City 6 Chelsea 0

    Mfanyikazi wa nyumbani apasua mbarika kuhusu mauaji ya Mary Wambui
    • 2/13/2019 8:33:21 AM
    • 14

    Mfanyikazi wa nyumbani apasua mbarika kuhusu mauaji ya Mary Wambui

    Vituko vya Tanasha na Diamond Wakiwa Club Jana Usiku
    • 2/12/2019 8:30:29 PM
    • 11

    Vituko vya Tanasha na Diamond Wakiwa Club Jana Usiku

Lifestyle

http://www.kenya24news.com/lifestyle/the-dish-the-bane-of-some-restaurant-bills/70724-news
THE DISH: The bane of some restaurant bills
  • 12/6/2018 1:54:51 PM
  • 4

THE DISH: The bane of some restaurant bills

In Summary

  • Can you imagine looking at a bill with loose decimals thrown all over it and somehow magically calculating the extra 16% that your meal items require you to add on top?
  • Or is one supposed to memorise the menu as they make their food selection?
  • In the bill at Tapas, food is divided into food and beverage, and then the VAT is put as a separate total. Meaning, something that is, say, Sh250 on the normal menu, is documented as Sh211 on the bill tally, and so you don't know what the total is because they've lumped the whole sum together.
  • If the reason the bill is like this is because it makes it easier for the company to deal with KRA, why is that problem passed on to the customer instead of the company tax guy?
  • Do you have feedback on this article? E-mail: [email protected]

It's Friday (hey!) and you're ready to swing. You pick up the girls and hit the party saying, ‘tonight, it's all right’ – if you catch my drift.

This was the scene set last week at my girlfriends' double birthday party. They of course asked me for a few places I would recommend, as they had been trying to figure out where to go for a dinner befitting of the affair.

Eventually, they decided on Tapas. Why? We had been there before, the sangrias were okay, the ambience was nice, there was a Happy Hour (tres important for any birthday celebration, if we're being honest) and, they had a DJ on the night required. They went ahead and made the booking.

MORE THAN WE PLANNED FOR

When we showed up, of course, there were a couple of people who had not initially confirmed their booking, but showed up anyway – thus our numbers swelled from 15 to 21.

At this point the staff informed us that there were not enough seats for all of us to sit, and they could not get another table, as multiple tables were reserved.

And so, a number of our party stood around for about 25 minutes waiting for seating, as we alternated shifts standing with them – a party isn't really a party if everyone isn't at the party, is it? Which is what prevented me from saying that another half of the people should just move to another location.

This aside, as I understand that there were no seats and the manager, Andrew, was doing his absolute best to accommodate us, it didn't feel celebratory by the end of the meal, simply because of a delicate seating situation.

When people wanted to leave, the bill was brought to me, the designated human calculator of the night, and I was to tell everyone how much to pay. This was the nail on the coffin for me. The straw that broke the camel's back, if you will. What is it with Tapas and its affiliates and splitting taxes and food?

SPLITTING THE BILL

When I say Tapas and affiliates, I mean Artcaffe and Urban Gourmet. It's the most annoying bill in the world, especially among a party of 25 people. Can you imagine looking at a bill with loose decimals thrown all over it and somehow magically calculating the extra 16% that your meal items require you to add on top? Or is one supposed to memorise the menu as they make their food selection?

I think I spent more time going back and forth with the (super patient) waitress, the menu and the specials board trying to figure out which figures were what and belonged to who, instead of actually sitting at the birthday meal – seeing as some of the things we ordered were not even on the menu.

You see, how the bill comes, is food is divided into food and beverage, and then the VAT is put as a separate total. Meaning, something that is, say, Sh250 on the normal menu, is documented as Sh211 on the bill tally, and so you don't know what the total is because they've lumped the whole sum together.

I have repeatedly asked on different occasions why these restaurants do this, and really, no answer has been sufficient for me. But that, topped with the seating problem, and the fact that our food took ages to show (which, I am told, is something I should have known from being in foodie groups) is ruling out Tapas for me.

If the reason the bill is like this is because it makes it easier for the company to deal with KRA, why is that problem passed on to the customer instead of the company tax guy? And how do literally all the other restaurants manage without giving the customer this burden?

It's ludicrous to me that we're still doing this silliness in 2018. And 2018 is over!

***

Wondering where to get the 411 on what's happening in and around Nairobi's foodie scene? There's a lot of places you could go, but here's where we want you to be – getting the dish on the dish. Get it? We knew you would.


  • THE DISH: The bane of some restaurant bills
  • THE DISH: The bane of some restaurant bills
  • THE DISH: The bane of some restaurant bills

Related News

SUNDAY SERMON: God allows suffering so that we can 'search our hearts'
  • 2/17/2019 7:26:29 AM

SUNDAY SERMON: God allows suffering so that we can 'search our hearts'

THE DISH: On the hunt for great Chinese food
  • 2/16/2019 4:41:46 PM

THE DISH: On the hunt for great Chinese food

CELEB BUZZ: The missing jigsaw in Akothee's puzzle
  • 2/16/2019 3:14:18 PM

CELEB BUZZ: The missing jigsaw in Akothee's puzzle

Drinking dilemma for cautious parents
  • 2/16/2019 1:47:31 PM

Drinking dilemma for cautious parents

SEXUAL HEALTH: Tears of a mother raising gay son
  • 2/16/2019 1:37:27 PM

SEXUAL HEALTH: Tears of a mother raising gay son

Lonely elderly Britons to get love letters on Valentine's Day
  • 2/14/2019 12:19:03 PM
  • 7

Lonely elderly Britons to get love letters on Valentine's Day

ONEYA: Of loneliness on Valentine's Day
  • 2/14/2019 3:08:29 PM
  • 7

ONEYA: Of loneliness on Valentine's Day

LOVE TALES: The sting of village love
  • 2/15/2019 3:59:13 AM
  • 6

LOVE TALES: The sting of village love

THE REEL: 5 movies to spice up your Valentine's Day
  • 2/14/2019 4:14:26 PM
  • 5

THE REEL: 5 movies to spice up your Valentine's Day

Education was my saving grace
  • 2/15/2019 9:08:00 AM
  • 5

Education was my saving grace

Investors set up 'shopping centres' to woo more gated community property buyers
  • 2/14/2019 10:21:30 AM
  • 11

Investors set up 'shopping centres' to woo more gated community property buyers

Kori's mistress Judy Wangui hawked eggs before 'striking it rich'
  • 2/13/2019 6:02:23 AM
  • 10

Kori's mistress Judy Wangui hawked eggs before 'striking it rich'

MAN IN THE HOOD: When a landlord messed up my Valentine's Day...
  • 2/13/2019 10:13:09 AM
  • 6

MAN IN THE HOOD: When a landlord messed up my Valentine's Day...

Latest News

Inside Sh200bn tender war for High Grand Falls Dam
Kenya
  • 2/17/2019 11:01:20 AM
  • 0

Inside Sh200bn tender war for High Grand Falls Dam

MY WEEKEND: Our past affects our current life decisions
Lifestyle
  • 2/17/2019 10:30:48 AM
  • 0

MY WEEKEND: Our past affects our current life decisions

MWALIMU ANDREW: Apostle Elkana reaps big from Valentine's Day fete
Lifestyle
  • 2/17/2019 10:30:48 AM
  • 0

MWALIMU ANDREW: Apostle Elkana reaps big from Valentine's Day fete

Raila Odinga savours moment in Addis Ababa
Politics
  • 2/17/2019 10:10:31 AM
  • 0

Raila Odinga savours moment in Addis Ababa

Moi's desire for airport led to Uplands Bacon's demise
Kenya
  • 2/17/2019 10:10:31 AM
  • 0

Moi's desire for airport led to Uplands Bacon's demise

Issa Timamy protests police disruption of his Mpeketoni rally
Kenya
  • 2/17/2019 10:10:30 AM
  • 0

Issa Timamy protests police disruption of his Mpeketoni rally

ONE ON ONE: Catherine Kamau Karanja won hearts as Selina in Mother-in-Law
Lifestyle
  • 2/17/2019 9:44:56 AM
  • 2

ONE ON ONE: Catherine Kamau Karanja won hearts as Selina in Mother-in-Law

ONEXTRA: DJ Roudge
Lifestyle
  • 2/17/2019 9:44:56 AM
  • 2

ONEXTRA: DJ Roudge

Coke Studio to air on NTV
Lifestyle
  • 2/17/2019 9:44:56 AM
  • 1

Coke Studio to air on NTV

SURGEON'S DIARY: My mother, while she lived, was hands-on with everyone
Lifestyle
  • 2/17/2019 9:29:14 AM
  • 3

SURGEON'S DIARY: My mother, while she lived, was hands-on with everyone

Lawyers in war of words over Wajir petition bribery claim
Kenya
  • 2/17/2019 9:19:01 AM
  • 3

Lawyers in war of words over Wajir petition bribery claim

KTN News Livestream (Nairobi, Kenya)
Video
  • 2/17/2019 8:55:43 AM
  • 2

KTN News Livestream (Nairobi, Kenya)

EU flags come down in Brexit Britain
World
  • 2/17/2019 8:43:21 AM
  • 0

EU flags come down in Brexit Britain

Saudi defends app allowing men to monitor women relatives
World
  • 2/17/2019 8:43:21 AM
  • 0

Saudi defends app allowing men to monitor women relatives

Nakuru Single Mother Rejects Uhuru's House Gift.
Video
  • 2/17/2019 8:26:00 AM
  • 1

Nakuru Single Mother Rejects Uhuru's House Gift.

UHURU LOOSES TEMPER AND DEALS WITH CS MACHARIA AND A CHINESE CONTRACTOR IN FULL GLARE OF CAMERAS
Video
  • 2/17/2019 8:26:00 AM
  • 2

UHURU LOOSES TEMPER AND DEALS WITH CS MACHARIA AND A CHINESE CONTRACTOR IN FULL GLARE OF CAMERAS

WEZELE
Video
  • 2/17/2019 8:25:59 AM
  • 2

WEZELE

Land question is still unresolved as NLC commissioners leave office
Kenya
  • 2/17/2019 8:12:55 AM
  • 2

Land question is still unresolved as NLC commissioners leave office

Alarm bells as grabbers retain illegal land titles
Kenya
  • 2/17/2019 8:12:54 AM
  • 3

Alarm bells as grabbers retain illegal land titles

Nyeri woman denies stabbing mother to death
Kenya
  • 2/17/2019 8:12:54 AM
  • 3

Nyeri woman denies stabbing mother to death

Follow

Popular

  • Policeman who suffered depression hangs himself at home
    Kenya

    Policeman who suffered depression hangs himself at home

  • 52,000 motorbikes yet to get number plates as crisis bites
    Kenya

    52,000 motorbikes yet to get number plates as crisis bites

  • Padi Wubonn Nishahema -  Rayvanny Ft Diamond Platnumz - Tetema parody  ( OFFICIAL VIDEO 4K
    Video

    Padi Wubonn Nishahema - Rayvanny Ft Diamond Platnumz - Tetema parody ( OFFICIAL VIDEO 4K

  • Alarm as 60 babies die at Kiambu Level Five Hospital
    Kenya

    Alarm as 60 babies die at Kiambu Level Five Hospital

  • Depressed police officer hangs himself at Murang'a home
    Kenya

    Depressed police officer hangs himself at Murang'a home

  • Bioterrorism: Empower health units and universities to be responsive
    Opinion

    Bioterrorism: Empower health units and universities to be responsive

  • Ruto's Chatham House lecture draws referendum battle lines
    Opinion

    Ruto's Chatham House lecture draws referendum battle lines

  • Navjot Singh Sidhu no longer part of The Kapil Sharma Show
    Video

    Navjot Singh Sidhu no longer part of The Kapil Sharma Show

  • Meru court sets free mother who sold unsanitary food
    Kenya

    Meru court sets free mother who sold unsanitary food

  • SINGLE PARENT Rocks, wears the cape with PRIDE
    Video

    SINGLE PARENT Rocks, wears the cape with PRIDE

  • Two dead after truck rams into 3 vehicles in Salgaa
    Kenya

    Two dead after truck rams into 3 vehicles in Salgaa

  • Need to reinvent traditional business? Do these three things
    Business

    Need to reinvent traditional business? Do these three things

  • Shimba Hills dominate district games
    Sport

    Shimba Hills dominate district games

  • Mangelepa to feature in Lamu festival
    Lifestyle

    Mangelepa to feature in Lamu festival

  • From Salim Junior to Salim Young: How one family has embraced music industry
    Lifestyle

    From Salim Junior to Salim Young: How one family has embraced music industry

kenya24news.com

kenya24news.com © 2018 Contact Us