Can a sip coffee too slowly become a problem? In a bar or restaurant, can we really stay at the table without consuming? Here is what the law says.
Jean-Jacques, resident of Granville (Manche), wonders: “After a while, can a bar boss or a server ask you to consume ?”
The scene is familiar: a glass barely finished, and already the server makes it disappear. A gesture which, depending on the mood, can be interpreted as a simple maintenance reflex … or as a Invitation to order again.
After all, a bar remains a business, and its objective is to Maximize your turnover. But how far can this discreet pressure go? When does the customer find himself in the obligation to order again … or give way ?
Can a bar or a restaurant force you to consume again?
The fear of the establishment patterns is very real: see a table monopolized for hours By customers who, after a single consumption, settle down as if they were at home. From a commercial point of view, it is a obvious shortfall.
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A table occupied by a little expenditure consumer, it is a lost place for other more inclined customers to chain orders.
But legally, an establishment has the right to impose additional consumption or ask a customer to leave If he doesn’t consume anymore? We take stock!
No legal obligation, but a question of good manners
No law does not require a customer to order again after a certain time spent at a table. Theoretically, you might therefore savor your coffee For hours without risking being put at the door.
But the reality is much more nuanced: it is not so much an absolute right as a Question of common sense and respect for the merchant. An establishment is above all a convivialitywhere everyone must find their place.
Linger on the terrace for take advantage of the sunnothing more natural. But when the service is in full swing, monopolizing a table without consuming can quickly become embarrassing. If the bar is full and customers wait, it is common for a server to come politely propose a new order… Or the addition.
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Some clues do not deceive: a Soft lighting which is gradually going out, the music that drops, an insistent look at the staff … so many subtle signals indicating that it may be time to release the table. So yes, enjoy the moment, but always keep an eye on theAtmosphere around you.
In addition, if you want Set you on the terrace or at the counter to simply savor a coffee, no restaurateur cannot ban it from you.
Refuse serve consumption Without legitimate reason would amount to violating article L121-11 of the Consumer Code, which Protect the customer Against this type of abusive practice.
Clearly, demand a minimum consumption Or impose a meal to access a table is illegal. An establishment that risks there could be fined up to 1,500 euros (article R132-1 of the Consumer Code).
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