Can’t Take Food That We Paid for

Savy101 on 15/12/2024 - 13:11
Last edited 17/12/2024 - 21:49 by 1 other user

We hired a private room in a restaurant for a 21st birthday celebration.we had a few people who were unable to attend due to sickness etc. Most arrived at 7 PM, and the buffet meal was served from 8 to 9 PM. Afterwards, all the food ( almost 50% left over ) was taken away, citing health and safety reasons for not allowing guests to take leftovers. The menu was organized and paid for by us. So, what is the difference between this and allowing doggy bags in restaurants?

It was a private function,.
We had a budget of say $100 pp so we were given a menu to choose from. They then setup a buffet table from that menu.

• 

  victor47 on 16/12/2024 - 00:01

  +1

  Went to an event at Goode Brothers in New Lynn (AKL), after people ate the from the buffet table, they allowed folks to takeaway leftover food from the buffet in bags they had arranged. They cleared the rest of the food, set up a dessert buffet and again allowed dessert takeaways. I thought it was pretty decent of them to allow people to takeaway the food the organizers had paid for.

• 

  L3tstaxth1s on 15/12/2024 - 14:03

  So private buffet? What type of food was involved here?

• 

  Fox419 on 15/12/2024 - 15:10

  Imo,
  Buffets you are paying for the time or seat or plate to eat.
  You aren't paying for the specific meal per se.

  Many restaurants are okay with a doggy bag for the meal you have paid for however, they can decline this request.

  My take is you paid for a time-gated buffet, where you can eat food between 8-9 pm at the restaurant.
  You didn't pay for specific dishes or meals that you didn't finish.

  That is just my opinion on why.

  • 

    LupinS on 17/12/2024 - 12:51

    Private event. They paid for everything.

    And it would have all been binned.

    • 

      Fox419 on 17/12/2024 - 13:16

      Ah, I see the follow up information that OP posted.

      That sucks.

• 

  Savy101 on 15/12/2024 - 15:22

  Sorry, I should have clarified. It was a private function,.
  We had a budget of say $100 pp so we were given a menu to choose from. They then setup a buffet table from that menu.

• 

  shhuuu0328 on 17/12/2024 - 16:26

  -1

  It's normally a no unfortunately. If people take the food home and get sick from it, then the restaurant will be responsible for it.

  However I know some places make you sign a waiver form to avoid any issues with health and safety.

  • 

    Jexla on 17/12/2024 - 17:27

    +1

    I doubt that so much, otherwise takeaway food wouldn't exist at all.

  • 

    moxpearl on 17/12/2024 - 21:19

    +1

    That sounds more like some shitty American thing than in NZ.. especially the waiver part.

    I have never once seen anyone get denied asking for a doggy bag etc… it's common in 99.99% of places re leftovers.. especially for places that do Pizza etc.

  • 

    Alan6984 on 17/12/2024 - 20:47

    I know some places make you sign a waiver form to avoid any issues with health and safety.

    I wasn't aware you could exclude liability for health and safety issues like that.