Should tap water be free in restaurants?
A carafe of tap water arrives at the table. To the customer, the water costs very little. For the restaurateur, however, it has been brought over, served and cleared away, and the carafe and glasses will then need washing. So should it necessarily be complimentary?
We understand the surprise of a customer who is already paying for a meal and sees a carafe as a welcoming gesture. Asking for tap water rather than a bottle can also be a simple, sensible choice. But we need to distinguish the water coming out of the tap from the service that brings it to the table.
You are not paying only for the water
There is staff time, glassware, washing up, the water and energy used for cleaning, equipment maintenance and all the overheads of premises open to the public. Taken separately, each task seems tiny. Repeated from table to table, it is part of a restaurant's daily work.
A restaurateur can, of course, choose to offer the carafe free of charge. That is a commercial gesture, and customers may appreciate it. But ‘complimentary’ does not mean ‘cost-free’: the establishment absorbs the expense or funds it through the rest of its business. Why should that choice be imposed on every restaurateur?
In Belgium, the choice remains with the restaurateur
There is currently no general obligation requiring Belgian restaurants to serve tap water free of charge. The subject has already been discussed in Wallonia: a ministerial response published by the Walloon Parliament supported leaving each establishment free to decide whether to offer it.
But supporting a charge for a carafe does not mean supporting unpleasant surprises. The FPS Economy points out that drinks prices must be clearly displayed and the stated price must include compulsory service charges. If a carafe is charged for, customers must know before ordering, not discover it on the bill.
Our position: yes to clear pricing, no to compulsory free service
We believe a restaurant should be able to offer a carafe of tap water at a displayed price. Customers are free to order it or not; restaurateurs are free to provide it without charge if they wish. What we reject is the idea that a service should automatically be free simply because its raw material costs little.
This debate goes beyond a carafe of water. In hospitality, someone has to pay for the work, equipment and overheads. Pretending that the service costs nothing too often means leaving the restaurateur to absorb the difference.
Which side are you on?
Does charging for a carafe of tap water seem reasonable if the price is announced in advance? Or do you think it should always come free with a meal? We have chosen our side; tell us yours.
