Food and beverage establishments that charge for ice, glasses of water, and use of crockery, can do so as long as their customers are informed of the situation before they enter the establishment states the Association of Hotels, Restaurants, and Similar of Portugal (AHRESP), told media outlet Lusa.
“Food and beverage establishments may define, as internal operating standards, the charge for the use of crockery or other situations that are defined. However, […] these internal operating rules must be duly publicised, as well as posted in a prominent place, near the entrance of the establishments, in order to conveniently inform customers, “clarified the secretary general of the Association of Hotels, Restaurants, and Similar of Portugal (AHRESP), Ana Jacinto, in a written response to Lusa.
According to several reports made to Lusa, there are restaurants that charge for the use of crockery when, for example, at a birthday dinner, customers bring their own cake but use plates and cutlery from the establishment, as well as ice, or glasses of water.
“Establishments are allowed to charge an amount for the availability of ice or glasses of water, provided that this information is properly identified and defined in the price list of the establishment, which must be made available at the entrance and inside the establishments,” explained AHRESP.
The association further states that, since July 2021, hotels, catering, cafeterias, and catering establishments are required to keep at the disposal of customers a container with tap water and sanitised glasses for consumption on-site, either free of charge or at a lower cost than bottled water.
“If the establishment intends to charge for a glass of water, it must do so at a lower cost than that charged for the bottled water sold at the establishment,” said Ana Jacinto, adding that these values have to be properly identified in the invoice, under the VAT Code.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
