Coffee Shop Charges Customers for Restroom Use, Netizens Say: Using the Toilet More Expensive Than Eating...

There's a saying that goes, "There's no such thing as a free lunch in life." Charging table fees and tea fees for dining out is extremely common in the restaurant industry. However, a coffee shop in Guatemala has been exposed by customers for charging a space occupancy fee for using the restroom, which was even more expensive than their meal—a rather unusual occurrence.

A consumer posted a record of their visit to this coffee shop on social media, expressing great shock when they saw the bill while checking out. In fact, besides eating at the coffee shop, this consumer also used the restroom, and this restroom use was also listed as a separate consumption item on the bill, charging the consumer 25 Guatemalan quetzals under the item of "space occupation." (As of September 5, 2022, 1 Chinese yuan ≈ 1.12 quetzals)

Moreover, a can of soda cost 8 quetzals, and a serving of cheese potatoes cost 20 quetzals. The fee for using the restroom once was actually higher than a serving of food. The consumer believed this shouldn't be the case and thus exposed this coffee shop.

Netizens were outraged by the "space occupation" charge for using the restroom. Since the coffee shop's name "La Esquina Coffee Shop" and address were displayed on the receipt, its originally peaceful Facebook page suddenly attracted many angry comments.

Some netizens commented, expressing surprise that they haven't made consumers pay for the air inside the coffee shop yet; another netizen mentioned having been there before, it was always empty, and now they understand why.

As the matter was heatedly discussed, the coffee shop finally issued a statement expressing regret over this incident, stating it was a serious error that should not have existed, and this erroneous consumption item had been corrected in the system. At the same time, they are trying their best to contact the consumers affected by this charge and compensate them for their losses.

Public Reaction to the Incident

However, many netizens were not convinced by this apology statement.

Of course, a few netizens expressed understanding of the coffee shop's practice of charging a "space occupation" fee. Many consumers go to coffee shops to connect their computers and phones to the internet, with no real intention of ordering coffee. In some places where rent is very high, the shop owners are just trying to survive the pandemic.

Economic Challenges for Coffee Shops

Rising inflation and soaring costs of various categories are realities that people worldwide must face together. Even if the price of a single cup of coffee rises however much, it might not be profitable for small coffee shops. On the contrary, they might still face huge bills. According to the Irish Times, a small coffee shop received a massive electricity bill of 9,000 euros for just 73 days of electricity usage.

Cultural Context of Paid Restrooms

Interestingly, paid restrooms are relatively common abroad, especially in European regions. The reason these restrooms require users to pay a fee is usually for equipment maintenance. Many coffee shops already provide free restroom services to consumers, but this coffee shop not only charged but also charged more than for food, thus sparking controversy.

Image source: Internet

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