SAB1 is Right
 

I work in Boston, and go out to lunch nearly every day. When I buy lunch and offer cash, the clerks, who are usually in their 20s, look at me like I have two heads. Kids (30 and under) NEVER carry cash. So while the model works now for VK, at some point it will have to change. The market will demand it.

Hate to admit it but I think you're right.People that know us don't mind at all but people who are traveling expect to use plastic.Believe me,it's been a hot topic of conversation around here.

My local favorite pizza place is cash only also.I now almost never have cash and use a debit card.Has it stopped me from going there?No but for a while they didn't have ATM at their location and none were close to me.I did get food elsewhere a few times for that reason.Think of the VK as a hot dog cart or the like where most likely you use cash there also.

I occasionally eat at the Waffle House, a regional chain. They are open 24/7, are noted for their friendly atmosphere, good prices, and good food. Although primarily a breakfast place, they also serve non-breakfast fare. They opened their first restaurant in 1955 and grew to 1,500 locations by 2006.

I bring this up because, until 2006, they were a cash-only business.

They were obviously successful when folks had to hit an (offsite) ATM before coming in. I can attest that the locations I've visited were full of well-fed people with change in their pockets. However, when demographics started to affect their bottom line, Waffle House made the decision to accept plastic. They made the necessary price adjustments (to give the banks' their cut) and continued on. I still go there and, strangely, it's the only place where I still pay with cash.

My point is that the Village Kitchen is successful in their current model. I'm sure that they have made a few changes over the years to their menu, procedures, and equipment. If and when it makes sense for them to accept plastic, I'm sure they will make whatever adjustments are required and continue as a successful venture.

Armchair restauranteurs who insist on telling successful restaurant owners what they're doing wrong, well, it seems a bit presumptuous.

It's not presumptuous, it's the Internet.:)

Some of us here have actual business experience...

Obviously what the VK is doing today is working out well for them, but that doesn't mean it will last forever and it's usually advantageous, in any business, to adapt with (or slightly ahead of) your core customer demographic.

I've worked with a lot of small businesses who think that accepting credit cards is going to cut into their bottom line or otherwise have some measurable negative effect. Usually this is not true (exceptions being when your median ticket is less than $10 or for some reason you would be highly prone to false charge-backs).

In most cases accepting payments via credit card speeds the overall payment flow, gets your money in the bank quicker (no waiting for checks to clear) reduces employee risk of having to take cash deposits to the bank, reduces chances of employee theft or cash mis-counts, and increases your average ticket (this varies depending on the business).

I don't work for a credit card company, and I have no vested interest in the VK. But if they have chosen not to accept credit cards for urban-legendish reasons it makes sense to point out the other side of the argument (IMO).

At this point they might as well look past just credit cards and look at NFC/contactless payment options as well (since contactless credit card terminals will be the requirement for credit-card readers next year anyway).

I've stated my opinion before that I'll rummage whatever crevices I need to find quarters or any other change if I am short on cash for a farmer's breakfast. No, I won't use the ATM because the surcharge and the ADDITIONAL surcharge by my own bank (haven't done this in years but it used to be like $3).

Regardless, to agree with some others, I am the younger generation and no we don't like cash. In all honesty, you guys think accepting plastic is the issue but lets be honest for a second. I barely even use plastic anymore. Coffee in the morning at Sbux or Dunkin I use my app, that is linked to my card./account with an auto reload from paypal. Out to lunch? Most of the establishments, including my building, accept LevelUp which is an app paying service that is linked to my card. Pickup the dinner tab for me and a friend? No big deal, just Venmo me what you owe. I need a ride? Uber or Lyft are both on my phone and linked directly to my accounts. Not going to try and explain these upgrades in technology but learn about it. If you want change, then make it realistic and get with the times.

With that said, all you people looking for them to accept plastic are far behind the times. Funny how that works huh?

Yeah it is- I was in for lunch and was partly responsible for winding Rhonda up!

What?
 

If it's nice to see then why are you complaining about how VK is doing business?

ToW

I'll remember that. :D

I'm definately hearing what you're saying.....I believe there are no fee's when you pay with your phone app so when the time comes for us to move into the 21st century there might be enough of folks like you to offset the credit card fee's.

I'm not going to stop coming in regardless of whatever you do. But, with that said, all the OLD TIMERS that think plastic is the issue are far behind the times. Thank you for hearing me here! I think it would be a great step in the forward direction....WHEN you're ready to step into the 21st century that is. In the meantime, cash it is for me!

It's almost scary how fast things are changing. You will just change to plastic, Sam and they won't be doing it any more. It will all be off the phone. Can you keep up?? :laugh:

Only thing left is earning the money to pay all those charges :)

behind times already
 

tis, you're behind the times already.....we're paying with our watches now!
:laugh::laugh:

Yep, see I forgot. I AM behind ALREADY! I just can't keep up!! :)

Major hit the nail right on the head and that's all I was trying to say about the "plastic" debate is that the market will demand it someday whether the current owner wants to make the change or not. You need to adapt and change with the times to survive. Sure people now don't mind paying cash because they have to. I'd be willing to bet (just my opinion) if the VK started taking plastic they would see a drastic switch and have at least 75% of customers paying that way. Even the "old timers" that have been eating there for years would pay this way. I'm fully aware losing my business once in awhile isn't going to close the place but I've more than once stopped at Buckeys for this very reason, I will not pay a fee to get at cash through an ATM. Again my business once in awhile means nothing but what if 20, 30 or 40 individuals and families are doing the same thing weekly. In the summer times that's probably very realistic. Some day the "old time" cash carrying payers will be gone then what? Maybe by then Samian will be retired and it will be the next owners burning platform. :D

Cash Economy
 

There is a huge percentage of the economy that is "underground"

"Estimates are that underground activity last year totaled as much as $2 trillion, according to a study by Edgar Feige, an economist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison."

Those people, some of whom work for cash, many who could not qualify for a credt card, will always exist. Many people deal in cash just so that their personal cash flow does not leave a paper trail. There was a former mayor of Boston who had no checking account and paid all his bills with cash or a Postal Money Order. That makes it pretty difficult for the IRS to see the whole picture.

Drug use is estimated to be a $60 billion a year business in the United States. As far as I know that is still a cash business.

I don't see a time in the future when we go to all plastic and paper money doesn't exist. For some people, that is all they have.

Value! (good food, quantity & prices) & Pleasant Setting
 

We always seek value (see any of our other reviews).

Any idiot can spend a lot of money on overpriced, over-hyped food and defend their position by saying "you get what you pay for". And as we all know, simple platitudes like that are for the simple-minded. No, you do NOT have to pay a lot to get decent food or anything else for that matter. And so...

A simple, family-oriented restaurant. Not gourmet, but good. Varied menu. Pleasant servers.
The food is humble, not gourmet. The setting is plain and comfortable, not exotic The portions are good-sized.

And...very comfortably-priced. We never regret what we paid and do not feel victimized as we do with some other restaurants where they have an over-inflated sense of their worth or quality.

We enjoy our visits here and will return. More places should be like this one. (The Bradford Bakery / Restaurant is another of similar ilk.)

This is, as always, just our opinion. Do your own research, form your own opinion.

yep Friday's haddock is the best

Which name were you using for your prior reviews? The account you are now using only has this one post.

What's a bitcoin??? :confused:

http://bfy.tw/2VOz Monopoly money ahaha

VK just refuses to cave and take a Debit/Credit card. :D

Bob and Sammie, keep doing what works for you.:D

I get a much better meal by paying the higher cost charged by a premier steak house than by getting a ten dollar meal at a budget steakhouse.

Same thing holds true with Italian food.

Those without the ability to discern quality had best relegate themselves to dining on "simple meals."

No problem. The rest of us W2 stiffs will handle paying the taxes. But I'm sure VK's motivation for not taking plastic is to avoid the credit card fees.

Credit card fees on master card or visa are less than 2%, hardly reason for not accepting them given their convenience. That said, we remain big VK fans.

CCD fees
 

I have to disagree with your 2% fee statement. As a business owner I see these fees every month. The fee structure varies with the card Issuer (MC, Visa, AMX, Dis.) and the style of rewards that the card offers. It is even different for a business , personal, or govt. card. Yes the merchant is helping the credit card company underwrite your rewards in the form of a higher "merchant discount fee". I've seen total card discounts vary from 2% to almost 5% depending on the card, a 2% total discount is almost never the case 3-1/4 to 4% is more the norm when you add all the fees up.

I don't blame VK for their reluctance to accept cards. I don't think anyone would care to just give away up to 5% of their income to with no real return on that investment. If VK has lines out the door during peak hours the lack of CCd acceptance can't be hurting their business volume to a great extent. Good for them. I wish I didn't need to accept cards, I could put the savings into something with a return to my business.

I'm guessing that refers to their other tripadvisor reviews:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...Hampshire.html

Cash is king
 

Pretty sure that wait staff and bartenders prefer to be tipped in cash not on a credit card. We always tip good service with cash even if we are paying for our meal with a cc.

99% of restaurants accept cc's. To not accept them is anachronistic and frankly bad business.

VK is the standard I compare everywhere else to.
 

I make no apologies for my identity, thus the Miss Theresa screen name. Anyway, my family moved to Moultonboro from lil 'ol Rumney, NH and built the home in the corner of Birch Lane and Rte 25. In addition to myself, out of my four kids, three of the four have worked at the VK (Jen was busy apprenticing with Donna Love). My point is this, in my humble opinion, no place compares to the Village Kitchen! I remember eatting there before they moved to where they are now. The food and staff is inpeccable! Since I live in Ohio now, whenever I make it back home, a stop at the VK is second on my list - gotta make my daughter at Cup and Crumb number one!

If you don't like their CCD policy then don't eat there. As I said, with lines out the door during peak times the lack of CCD acceptance is apparently not hurting them too much.

Some things you can't change no matter how much you bitch about it. As you say there are plenty of places that will accept your plastic. Please visit your favorite restaurant that accepts it as that will make the line shorter for those of us who can remember to stock our wallet with some green backs from time to time. Personally I use cash for just about all personal expenses, Call me old fashioned or Anachronistic if you wish but I think that an empty wallet telling me to stop spending is a good thing.

Everyone that dines out is required to pay the (9%) tax on meals. Not sure what you were trying to imply on that one.

*disclaimer* I do not own a business, just stating a fact

Village Kitchen
 

WOW, if this thread gets any hotter I may just throw a piece of meat at it and let it cook itself.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !! (guess what-- no charge, as in free!)

Surprise
 

It amazes me how many people want to express an opinion to tell someone with a very successful business how they should run it.

Obviously there have been some excellent decisions made by the owners to determine what works best for them, and their customers,in every aspect of their business. And, obviously, it works well for their substantial number of happy customers.

As has been said, if you don't like it don't go there.

Perfectly said!!!!

I agree 100% . The VC is one place that can keep going in all seasons. In the summer as people have said the line is out the door. samiam has a successful business and has an atm in the building if one needs cash. As yogi said" it is so crowded no one goes there any more " . I look forward to my first Friday night in the spring. And of course my first lobster roll at red hill

OK, well I suppose I earned that.

I want to reiterate that we LOVE VK and support it. We and our five kids have been to VK literally dozens of times and never been disappointed. Especially love the Wednesday night turkey dinner which is crazy good and inexpensive and will continue to frequent VK regardless of their payment policy. Gear down people and have a Merry Chrsitmas!