Celebrity chef Marco Pierre White is facing a backlash for introducing a £1.50 charge per person for tablecloths and napkins at one of his London restaurants.
Diners at his London Steakhouse on Liverpool Street will have the fee added to their bills “to cover the cost of table linen and napkins,” along with a 9.5 per cent service charge.
The additional charge comes as a the hospitality industry continues to struggle with rising costs. To try and combat this, some restaurants have added stealth charges to “capture revenue” in “more innovative ways,” LBC reports.
The à la carte menu states the charge is £1.50 per person with other set menus being £1 per head.
Pierre White’s restaurant is also said to charge a £10 fee for diners booking certain set menus more than 48 hours in advance.
The extra charge for napkins and tablecloths has prompted a backlash from many who are angry at the restaurant charging for something that should be standard.
Hospitality expert Steven Hesketh told LBC: “To continue adding additional charges for customers is another nail in the coffin of the hospitality industry, which we really don’t need.”
Consumer expert Jane Hawkes told the Telegraph: “The hospitality industry is struggling, but don’t bamboozle your customers, a fee just for the privilege of booking is unfair.
“It’s not at all fair to introduce an extra charge for something that should be included as standard.
“If you go to a restaurant you expect to get a bill for the food and drink you have had, nothing more.”
The napkin charge has been slammed by some on social media as well.
“This is why restaurants are shutting down, stealing from customers,” one person wrote on X.
Another replied: “Restaurants are shutting down due to not enough customers and the costs of running a restaurant / pub / cafe have gone through the roof.
“This is a bad idea imo. Just raise the price of the menu.”