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The open buffet format for food – or open bar for drinks – is a real paradise for the most insatiable. But it also carries some dangers, as drinking more alcohol than usual can lead to some indisposition. In the U.S., many brunches offer these options, including an open bar of mimosas. But, after seeing an increase in alcohol poisoning with all that it entails, including vomiting, many restaurants have decided to impose an extra fee to protect their backs in case of drinking too many mimosas.
Specifically, the so-called “vomit fee” is intended to discourage those customers who drink without control, as well as to cover part of the cleaning and damages they may cause in the premises. The amount will be $50, in case such a situation happens to one of the diners.
For example, the Kitchen Story restaurant in Oakland, California, decided to post a sign warning customers that if they drank mimosas without responsibility, they would be charged a $50 cleaning fee if they vomited on the premises, according to CBS.
In San Francisco, another restaurant, Home Plate, also adopted a similar measure, asking for an extra $50 from brunch customers for “any incident they cause as a result of intoxication.” And it seems it hasn’t gone entirely wrong, as SFGate reported, the restaurant has seen fewer incidents of vomiting inside the premises since the notice was posted.
But this measure is not only limited to restaurants. Other mobility and transportation companies, such as Uber, also allow drivers to charge extra cleaning fees, ranging from $20 to $150, when passengers litter the vehicle.