william tell drink refill charges
 

ate there saturday. 2 boys ordered soda and cranberry juice. the waitress brought drinks in about 8oz. glasses, mostly ice. maybe 3oz. of soda/juice.so, obviously, the boys drank that right down. they had 3 drinks each. when we got the bill, the ripoff artists charged us $2.25 for EACH drink. most restaurants would have charged them nothing for refills and given them a full size glass.
I don't care how good the food might be, we will never go back to a place that rips us off!

You should of requested no ice on the second go-around. I'm not sticking up for them...Never been there.....

I've never been there, either. However, I expect "free" refills of iced tea,water, coffee, not so much juice or soft drinks.

william tell
 

It doesnt sound as though you discussed the problem with the staff. (WHY? ) If you didnt, you certainly should have voiced your opinion to management.

:rolleye2:

Listen to this and it might make you feel better!

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JkymTHSbWe0&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JkymTHSbWe0&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

It worked!!!
 

It worked!!! What a great performance. Thanks for posting.

Bravo!
 

Thank you for this slice of joy on a rainy day! The William Tell Overture is one of my favorites. How many forum members recall that it was the theme music for the Lone Ranger radio and television shows? Tonto, are you there?

Not a family place
 

The main reason why you never see kids there or a full parking lot for that matter.

Not so!
 

Obviously you've never been there on a Friday or Saturday evening during the summer. Also, they were booked solid last year on Valentine's Day, but they squeezed me in for an early 5 pm dinner!

I also think a word with the management would have resulted in an adjustment to the bill. Most of the waitresses we've had were extremely good with children. Perhaps a newbie?

Newbiesaukee said, "I expect "free" refills of iced tea,water, coffee, not so much juice or soft drinks."

As I recall they don't serve iced tea. It seems to me that you can't find a restaurant that gives free refills on juice and except for chains, most restaurants with a bar do not give free refills on soft drinks.

If you are the 'designated driver' of a group of people, most bars give free non alcoholic drinks.

Patrick's, T-Bones, Cactus Jack, Canoe and O's gives free refills of non alcoholic beverges to everyone except fruit drinks.

If you are the 'designated driver' of a group of people, most bars give free non alcoholic drinks.

Patrick's, T-Bones, Cactus Jack, Canoe and O's gives free refills of non alcoholic beverges except fruit drinks

If Winniview's boys were his DD's, I'd agree this should have been the case. Since they weren't, it's a case of apples and oranges.

Wow, another reason to live in NH. There is not a "bar" in PA that will give free refills on soda - just another reason it is more expensive to live down here!

Speak Up When you Are There
 

While I symphathize with not wanting to pay for expensive soft drinks/juice for children/anyone, tell the server when you are there. I visit the Wm Tell perhaps twice a year. They tend to be so polite as to be embarassing.

A recurring event in this forum is someone finding fault with someone else anonymously. "If you don't have something good to say, say nothing." This logic is a bit misguided logic. But some of the windbags who comment on this forum would be doing readers a favor by getting more roughage in their diet.

Huh?
 

While $2.25 for a suppossedly 3 oz serving of soda is steep, I would fully expect to pay for any additional sodas I ordered while dining. Is it just me?

Depends. We trained our kids to always ask before just telling the server that they wanted a refill. In our experience, more resturants give free refills than those that do not. This may have something to do with the fact that, when with kids, most are family-style resturants, kids-friendly, places.

I would not put the William Tell in that category, and would typically go there without kids. This is not to imply they are not kid friendly. Rather I see it as a more adult type night out, sans kids. But that's just my preference and view.

Refills are competetively driven. I mentioned to my bartender once that the place down the street does free refills on lemonade, lo and behold, refills were free the next time I came in.

ounce of prevention?
 

Maybe the first time the drink came loaded with ice, point out that fact and ask to have it redone or a free refill. I know this is after the fact though. but maybe that will be what I do if something happens in a restaurant that is not to my liking. I do not order soft drinks but used to order them with no ice when I did. Personally I think I would have said something when the brought the bill even? Makes MacDonalds look better!

Perhaps, Samiam, could add some intelligent thoughts on this. I myself drink water, however if I bring my kids or grandkids, I DO expect free refills of soda if they order any. I do have my grand daughter ordering water instead of soda and she loves it. I understand the overhead associated with running a establishment is high, but to refill a soda that costs them probably 9 cents, I don't feel is asking to much. IMHO.

My wife was in the restaurant business for years and I can tell you that the markup on prepared food is slim to none. More profit was made on fountain drinks than the food by a long shot.

It wouldn't surprise me that in an effort not to raise prices on their main menu food items, they have no choice but to charge for refills. In my opinion this would be a smart and fair business decision. They have to make a profit or they will simply go out of business.

Next time simply ask for no ice or order water.

FWIW

Dan

On the rare occasions my family dined out when I was a kid, we knew better than to ask for anything but water for this very reason.

Overture
 

Thanks to Yosemite Sam for the for the music! When I was in grade school, the entire class went to the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence to see a concert. I was mesmerized by the William Tell Overture and the whole orchestral experience. Turned me on to classical music. Great post!

Overture
 

Both William Tell and the 1812 Overture are my classical favorites. :D

Cost 9 cents??
 

Costing the business 9 cents for a glass of soda?? I had a friend that had a resaurant and he explained to me that you have to add the overhead into every item that he sold. Payroll, workers comp insurance, electricity, propane, oil, linen service, landscaping, advertising, taxes, taxes, and more taxes, etc, etc. So that 9 cent glass of soda is more like 1.20-1.60 a glass.

Don't think I have been offered a free refill for soft drinks
 

NOT EVER!!! I also agree that I would not expect to pay $2.25 for a soft drink but that is just me. I can drink water for free and then have dessert!!!

What, No Drink Refills...
 

That’s just wrong... I'm on your side; I'll never go there again. There, that will teach them... no refills, that's no way to treat kids.

Oh wait! That's the place that has the best ever Rack of Lamb with spaetzels and red cabbage. Then the Snowballs in Toblerone sauce, to die for... The place that just a short walk up the hill from Glidden Cove, that makes such a wonderful evening sail and dinner.

I've changed my mind... Tell your kids to drink water. I'll be heading over there the next time up that way for another wonderful feast and evening by the fire. And furthermore I don't care how much it costs; to get a little bit of Bavaria for the evening... it's worth it.

We love the food and the people at the WT.

Having a couple of youngsters and a great love of eating out, I have learned to listen to the question the server ask regarding our drinks.

If they say "would you like a refill on your soda?" I feel comfortable that it is a free refill.

If they say "would you like another soda?", this might require a question on the charge for refills. It is likely not free.

If they take my son's empty glass and return with another, I feel comfortable that its a free refills.

At least if you have this observation when the check arives you have testimony to offer.

The best solution for me is to have beer with my Wiener Schnitzel.

Try the snowballs. OMG

What does your last paragraph mean?

I guess what I don't get about this thread is that Winniview got to go out for a nice meal with his/her family at a restaurant that some people probably can't afford, and got to be waited on. But somehow got focused on a charge of $2.25/soft drink....

Everything is so wonderful - great food, family time, being waited on, going out, not having to be home, no dishes (and no turkey leftovers -again!):D - and yet this one thing - the cost of carbonated water with sugar and flavorings in a glass - makes everything so bad.

There was a time, not that many years ago, where it was very uncommon to find a place that had free soda refills. In fact, when I started working at Applebee's in 1989 (OMG that was 20 years ago!), refills were not free. Now most places (obviously not ALL places) offer free refills.

Soda vs. Juice
 

I think the difference here, is they were drinking juice, not soda (I assume the "soda" in the original post was soda water). Most places do offer free refills on soda - fountain soda (if they serve bottles or cans, you get one).

I don't think I've ever been given a free refill on juice. When I go out to breakfast, I get one juice. If I order another, I pay for another.

i agree
 

I find that if the restaurant is adult-oriented, but tries to accomodate the requests of children, the juice often comes from the bar.. it's there as mixers for cocktails. So when a child orders cranberry juice for example (which is a favorite of my 10 year old), the server gets it from the bar and it gets rung up as a non-alcoholic cocktail. Thus its handled transactionally as part as the bar bill. No one expects free refills on a sea-breeze, and this was probably considered no different.

As was said earlier - its best to ask at the time of the refill..

I ate lunch at Applebee’s in Tilton yesterday and had Mango ice tea with it. I had one refill with my lunch and then asked them if I could have one drink to go. The waitress put the second refill in a 20 oz take out container and even inserted a straw in it for me. So I had three Mango iced tea for the price of one.
The first refill was brought to my table before I had finished my first drink.
Of course being tall dark and handsome might have had something to do with it. ;)

I'm with you Winni Diver
 

The WT is definitely worth the price considering the quality of the dinners and desserts. The snowballs in Tobler sauce are great, and the waitresses are very accommodating. When I ordered them and indicated that I would be sharing with my 4 year old cousin seated next to me, they brought us 2 separate plates (1 snowball per plate, no extra charge). On a subsequent visit when my mother and father indicated they were too full to order the snowballs, the waitress that day offered to split the order and again brought 2 plates - no extra charge. My little cousin enjoyed her snowball and as you can see, her 2 year-old brother enjoyed sharing the lava cake with grandpa. The waitress really took good care of the 2 little ones who are very well behaved diners. The fact that both were wearing their lederhosen made them the hit of the dining room.

I just noticed the lad is looking at the person who is helping him eat his desert. The red eye could be a defensive move.:)

Refills
 

I enjoy going out to eat, but I don't enjoy running up the tab with sodas and other soft drinks. Unless we're having a glass of beer or wine, my wife and daughter and I will make do with just water. If the food is good, who needs the extra expense? Besides, I make sure the waiter gets a good tip.

The first time I heard it I thought Rossini stole it from The Lone Ranger. ;) .. :rolleye1:

Here are a few restaurants that give free refills, Chili's, TGI Friday's, Applebee's...in fact I was in one that I had to ask the waitress to stop after I drank 5 raspberry iced teas. It was a long ride home.

..so in your business you spend money on something and then just give it away for free?

In choosing a restaurant.......
 

I cannot remember a single time that I made the choice based on who gave soft drink refills. I like friendly places that serve a good meal for a fair price. Sort of old fashioned???

Breaks into song:

I said no, neigh, never,
no neigh never no more,
I said no, no neigh never,
no neigh never, no more.

Depends, if it a part of the marketing budget and gets people through the door, yea, sometimes. But I know where you are coming from, and being in a different business sector I will not pretend to understand your costs.

The sad thing is what soft drinks (post or pre-mix) cost to manufacture and what you are charged for them. My father has been the Lakes Region soda cooling and despencing device repair man for going on 29 years now (some will know, others, well!). The way that resturants are bent over regarding the cost of soda, I would definately think that you would not be wanting to give it away, they certainly don't.