So I'm coming back from the dentist and head to the Coffee Bean (you guys don't have em out there but here they're the better alternative to Starbucks...I highly suggest you campaign for them to come to NC)...anyway, and I ordered what I always do Ice Blended Mocha, no whip (fyi, all their drinks use nonfat milk unlike Starbucks which only serves their blended shit with low fat...anyway, I digress...twice...

so then he says what they always say to me which is,
"Is that for here, or to go", and as usual I say,
"To go"...Now I've always wondered what would be different if I said
"for here" and the guy says to me,
"Then you get taxed. And that's the ONLY difference."

What in the fuck?! He said they have to ask
"For here or to go?" or
"Would you like that for here?" but they're not allowed to say,
"Is that to go" and if they get caught then they get a $500 fine....FOR TAX EVASION

10/8/2007 4:56:52 PM

cam eback together

10/8/2007 4:57:37 PM

so there is a tax for planning to consume something in a restaurant

awesome

[Edited on October 8, 2007 at 4:59 PM. Reason : and that must mean they serve all their "for here" drinks in disposable cups... not awesome]

10/8/2007 4:59:19 PM

Why do they tax non to go orders?

[Edited on October 8, 2007 at 5:00 PM. Reason : non]

10/8/2007 4:59:35 PM

I have a feeling it isn't a tax but the store has a surcharge for you staying there.

10/8/2007 4:59:50 PM

hmmm...I'm gonna relate this to it being more expensive to sit outside at a cafe in europe than it is to sit inside.

10/8/2007 4:59:54 PM

they tax eat in orders.



to-go is no tax

10/8/2007 4:59:56 PM

CA: BIG TAXES IN STORE

10/8/2007 5:00:28 PM

you should order you stuff to go

then BAAAM!!! sit inside and drink your to-go coffee and eat your to-go cake

show them whose boss!!!

[Edited on October 8, 2007 at 5:02 PM. Reason : bitches!!]

10/8/2007 5:01:42 PM

CALL THE IRS!

10/8/2007 5:04:18 PM

Quote :

"you guys don't have em out there but here they're the better alternative to Starbucks...I highly suggest you campaign for them to come to NC"

Global Village > *

10/8/2007 5:07:08 PM

You could blow someone's mind if you say you're going to have 1/2 of it here and the other 1/2 in the car.

10/8/2007 5:09:37 PM

my2cents, that isnt just a CA thing.....sorry to burst your bubble.

10/8/2007 5:25:10 PM

I used to work at the Coffee Bean in LA. We had people ask all the time what the difference was.

We just gave some stupid answer that the manager told us, just like the guy told you. It's some kind of restaurant tax, blah blah.

Here's something even dumber..... Every Coffee Bean is 100% Kosher/Parve and customers can't bring any outside food or drink into the store. If caught by the Jews, the supplier will pull all of the food they serve there. It actually happened at 1 store that was only 1/2 mile from our store, and people would ask why the food was different.

[Edited on October 8, 2007 at 5:26 PM. Reason : .]

10/8/2007 5:25:33 PM

Quote :

"BUFFALO HIDE JACKET"

10/8/2007 5:30:05 PM

Well the difference is literally the tax...it's the same cup, both disposable...and everyone orders and stays in there. Coffee Bean doesn't get the money so they don't care where you eat it....and since I've been going to Coffee Beans since I was like 14, I never would have know such a thing exists. And then the guy said that there's a Baja Fresh down the street, that no matter whether you stay or go, you get taxed...so it's like a 'drink' thing or something (and they serve food like Starbucks) so the Coffee Bean guy had no clue what the fuck the point of the tax was. I can't think of a logical reason for the tax, I mean I got nothin.... He said it was a 'California' thing only, but he obviously isn't an expert on the other 49 states so it's very possible that it's a U.S. thing, I've just never heard of it before in any state

10/8/2007 5:33:43 PM

we are going to need proof of purchase

10/8/2007 5:34:53 PM

I've seen it before at McDonalds, I think. I looked at the receipt and was like 'wtf eat in tax?'

then i ate and was joyous anyway

10/8/2007 5:37:45 PM

Quote :

"Here's something even dumber..... Every Coffee Bean is 100% Kosher/Parve and customers can't bring any outside food or drink into the store. If caught by the Jews, the supplier will pull all of the food they serve there. It actually happened at 1 store that was only 1/2 mile from our store, and people would ask why the food was different. "

Huh?

What does bringing outside food have to do with kosher?

</nonjew>

10/8/2007 5:38:46 PM

It un-kosherizes (?) (invalidates the rabbi's certification of kosher) the place would be my guess

Although, then, so would letting in Gentiles and menstruating women

10/8/2007 5:40:12 PM

But if the jews aren't eating your food, what does it matter? I thought it was food that was kosher, not the place.

10/8/2007 5:40:58 PM

nc has this same tax. it's 2% grocery tax, but 7% for food "that can be consumed on the premises." you *should* get taxed 2% on a 2 liter pepsi and 7% for a 20 oz from the cooler. you learn all kinds of fun stuff working in a grocery store.

[the more you know]

[Edited on October 8, 2007 at 5:42 PM. Reason : roddy is correct]

10/8/2007 5:41:07 PM

that's ridiculous, and offends me

calling WRAL

...

jew people

10/8/2007 5:41:29 PM

Quote :

"But if the jews aren't eating your food, what does it matter? I thought it was food that was kosher, not the place."

I dunno what the rules are for kosher, and where it can be applied. This may be something important to the owners.

10/8/2007 5:43:07 PM

yep, McDonalds does it too. I used to work there, and had a customer ask about that. I didn't know the answer, so I told them that I didn't know. However, I soon realized the "eat in tax" thing on the receipt. it is stupid, I think, but then I don't know the reasoning behind it.

10/8/2007 5:45:29 PM

If you have ever been to LA, there are a ton of Jewish people. Most will only eat at Kosher Certified places. So, if outside food is brought in, it "contaminates" the Kosher Certification and the Jewish people are outraged and won't do business there.

10/8/2007 5:47:38 PM

If you "eat in" you're more likely to throw your trash into their trashcans, then they throw it in their dumpster that they have to pay to have there.

If you "eat in" you're also more likely to use a table in the restaurant so they have to pay for cleaning supplies to clean up after you.

If you "eat in" you may also use the bathroom and since they pay for water too, they have to cover that cost.

If you "eat in" you may eat in the air conditioned dining area so they have to keep more of the building cooler and that costs money. (Versus Cook-out style places where they only have to keep the kitchen cool.)

There are probably more overhead costs, that's why there are "eat in" taxes. They aren't there for the restaurant to make more money.



[Edited on October 8, 2007 at 7:57 PM. Reason : No real reason to get pissed about them either. Just say it's "to go" and eat it inside anyways.]

10/8/2007 7:52:29 PM

^it's a tax, the state gets it, not the business

10/8/2007 7:54:47 PM

but the tax doesn't go to the Coffee Bean, it goes to the state so all those things you mention would all be moot.

and I'm not mad about it, I just think it's stupid, very

10/8/2007 7:56:02 PM

also, parking costs for those parked on street or in their lot

costs money for the land and watnot


^^^yea, i thought of that too

[Edited on October 8, 2007 at 7:56 PM. Reason : .]

10/8/2007 7:56:32 PM

Hmm, then whoever told me all that is wrong too

10/8/2007 7:56:41 PM

I mean I could actually understand if they (the business) charged more to 'eat in'....because all those things mentioned make sense to figure in to overhead....but it's the state, so wtf...I mean trash being picked up is going to be picked up everywhere, so it doesn't matter where someone throws their trash, for example

10/8/2007 7:59:56 PM

it boils down to the grocery tax being less than sales tax. your receipt may say "eat-in tax", but that's just how they put it on the receipt. technically, it's not a tax on eating in. grocery tax is lower because everybody has to eat. if it's consumed on the premises it's subject to regular sales tax.

[Edited on October 8, 2007 at 8:05 PM. Reason : i don't see what's so hard to understand]

10/8/2007 8:04:35 PM

^Your post before didn't stand out, so I didn't see it. Makes sense now though.

10/8/2007 8:16:19 PM

i think the most fucked up part is the way they have to ask, if true.

not being able to just say '.. would you like this to go?'

10/8/2007 8:32:59 PM

Quote :

"it boils down to the grocery tax being less than sales tax. your receipt may say "eat-in tax", but that's just how they put it on the receipt. technically, it's not a tax on eating in. grocery tax is lower because everybody has to eat. if it's consumed on the premises it's subject to regular sales tax."

In North Carolina they have a "prepared food" tax, so it doesn't matter if you stay or go.

10/8/2007 9:16:51 PM

stay away from europe you nub

10/8/2007 9:59:24 PM

hambrosia

10/8/2007 10:03:54 PM