Rob Horgan
ORDERING a café con leche before shaking the morning blues could end up hitting consumers in the back pocket.
Inspired by a café in Paris, a restaurant in Spain has begun charging its customers more for their coffee and pastries if they are rude to staff.
Restaurant Blau Grifeu on the Costa Brava is charging grumpy punters €5 for their morning caffeine hit while those who behave more graciously pay just €3.
And a ‘please’ and/ or ‘how are you?’ will bag a coffee for as little as €1.30.
Colombian owner Marisel Valencia Madrid claims the scheme is working with customers beginning to be more polite to her staff.
“People seem to be in a rush these days and are forgetting to say ‘please’ when they ask for something,” she said. “Hopefully this can help people be more well-mannered in life in general.”
Hard to believe anyone in Spain would pay €5 for cafe con leche. But I did encounter €6 agua con gas in San Sebastian.
Must be making a lot of money judging by the news reports of expat and tourist manners.
It costs nowt to be polite and look, it can also be profitable. Well done Marisel, make ’em have it!
How about they run this scheme in reverse in Paris? Customers pay what they like depending on how welcoming and polite the staff are. I feel the cafes might take a bit of a hit! ;)
“Que? Diga me,”