We’re all familiar with the adage “Waste not, want not,” but has one Australian restaurateur gone too far?
Fed up with the waste left by diners, Chef Yukako Ichikawa of Wafu – a restaurant that offers “guilty free Japanese cuisine” in the suburbs of Sydney – has ordered her customers to eat everything on their plates or pay a penalty and be banned from her eatery. Conversely, diners who eat all the food they have ordered will receive a 30% discount.
Wafu’s website clearly defines the Chef’s expectations of her diners:
Eat-in Policy
First, read our policies and mission statement on our front door or on our website. If you agree to our terms (namely, not wasting food and sharing meals as if you would at home) we will gladly welcome you to Wafu.
Takeaway Policy
When using your own storage containers for takeaway food, we give you a 30% discount and stamp your Wafu card towards the reward of a $20 voucher to be used for anything in the store!
Using our containers incurs a $3 fee for EACH container used to package your meal. Trying to order takeaway without your own containers or plates may also result in refusal of service.
The restaurant has gained plenty of media coverage due to its odd (at least by American standards) dining requirements, and has received generally mixed reviews for the policies. Patrons who ranked the restaurant on Eatability typically either gave it high marks for the food or heavily criticized the service, claiming that diners who did not meet the policies were told to leave.
“[I] ate here ages ago and loved it, but when I came back, I have never been treated so rudely, by the senior staff. She said a few different things quickly about reading her Policy, which I was accepting of, fair enough, was her restaurant, but she was rude and got defensive when I asked for clarification and basically said we should go because we are not suitable customers/suitable for the restaurant.”
Are Ichikawa’s policies commendable or will her personal beliefs hinder the restaurant’s success?
Labels: dining policies, food trends, marketing premium food, Premium Food, Stephan & Brady, Wafu
You make your rules, you take your chances.
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