Charging for additional folks at breakfast

[Country Girl]

We are located near a boarding school and many times when parents come to visit their child they will ask if their child can join them for breakfast. We've never charged for this before, but this weekend we have someone coming who wants to add an additional 5 people for breakfast. Would you charge, and if so, how much? Thanks.

 

[JBloggs]

The one and only time I charged the guests never came back and sent me an email stating this was wrong. Their son is a football star at our local college, and top pick allstar. I used to not charge for the third person using the sofa bed, and no one ever seemed to be very thankful about it, so now I charge.
I would charge $10 pp. Juice, coffee, food would be MORE THAN THAT if they ate out.

 

[Alibi Ike]

Can you do it legally? If you can then yes, charge them. They have gone beyond your 'one child' graciousness policy and most people expect to pay for that. We've had guests ask us if their local relatives could eat here and they have almost all offered to pay up front.
At least $10/person and add tax & tip as it is a lot more work for you.

 

[agoodman]

Absolutely!!! You are not a charity, unless of course they are repeats / special whatever and you want to "give them something" - I have been charging $8.95 + tax and 15% service charge but will probabaly raise it to $9.50 + tax and service (Think how much it costs to go to the Waffle/Huddle House after you have had a main course + juice and coffee!! and added the tip for the waiter and the cook!!)

 

[Sanctuary]

I've read on this forum that in some locales, B&B's are not permitted to serve/sell meals to "walk-up" guests, meaning those who were not staying at the B&B. IF you have those kinds of ordinances in your area, your "selling breakfast" to those additional people who were not registered guests may make you akin to a restaurant and you may violate some laws unknowingly. Just want to bring up that as food for thought in case is, in fact, an issue where you are.

 

[agoodman]

I have a food service permit (addtl to my B&B permit) however there is a difference between a walk up / outside person and people dining with those who are registered guests.
Also .... We sometimes need to consider "hospitality" and "common sense" before driving ourselves crazy that some inspector is going to show up and cite us for serving breakfast to a friend of a registered guest .. the occassional times that you may do it ... just my personal opinion.
Whether or not you charge for the extra breakfast would not make a difference

 

[Breakfast Diva]

Absolutely charge! I would charge $10 per person and not ask for a tip. If you really don't want to do it, just tell them you're not licensed. There is no way you should go into the hole for food expenses for additional non-registered guests.

 

[JBloggs]

Yes breakfast to registered guests only is the norm for most B&B's, but there are many here who say they have no licensing they were just given the go ahead so do whatever they want. SO go for it, make some more dinero!

 

[Joey Camb]

we have done it from time to time charge about $10 per person as say one person is staying somewhere else that doesn't do breakfast so they come and have breakfast with their friend. Don't think they ever considered not paying. when I worked for a big hotel it was $30 and most people didn't want to pay it so sent quite a few to people I knew near the conference centre who would be happy for the extra money. At the holiday inn opposite me if you book a room only package it is $30 a head and I keep thinking I should put up a sign saying breakfast here $13 and seeing how much business i could do! lol

 

[EmptyNest]

ABSOLUTELY CHARGE THEM! And..if you don't want to do it...then tell them you are not permitted to serve anyone other than guests by your health dept. regs. In VA in our town, we are not allowed.

 

[Mini]

We charge $12 if they ask and free if we offer to have them bring mom, pop or whoever they are visiting for breakfast. Often when we offer, we will find a $10 tip under their plate.
I agree with what Agoodman said below:
however there is a difference between a walk up / outside person and people dining with those who are registered guests.
Also .... We sometimes need to consider "hospitality" and "common sense" before driving ourselves crazy that some inspector is going to show up and cite us for serving breakfast to a friend of a registered guest .. the occassional times that you may do it ... just my personal opinion.

 

[gillumhouse]

I would tell them there will be a $50 "service charge" added to their bill. I would not specify what the service was. You are charging them for the service - not the meal. That should take care of your "registered guests only" requirement. the service provided is the use of your dishes and the clean-up.

 

[NW Natterbug]

$15/pp here. No complaints yet. Full breakfast, silver service.

 

[Don Draper]

When this happens here it is always a nightmare (the extra person shows up late, doesn't want to eat what you're serving, the group monopolizes the entire dining room). We no longer allow anyone other than registered guests for breakfast, I blame it on insurance.

 

[Generic]

If it's a room with double occupancy and it is a single person, we believe they are entitled to bring a second perosn, since we charge double occupancy on all rooms.
If it is not, we charge the charge per extra guest $15.00 and then manually discount that to $10.00. We insist that it be billed as an extra person to the room, since we are not a restaurant. And we are particular about who we will say yes to. Otherwise, they are welcome to sit with them (beside the table, but not at the table and enjoy a simple cup of coffee or tea, no more, no less.
Exceptions are something you do from the kindness of your heart, we do it sometimes when they have clearly come from a very long distance and want to maximize the time with their family member. It's good business to do this from time to time, but your heart must be in it.

 

[gillumhouse]

I responded to the question of what would you do.
I have told parents here for parents weekend or a game that their kid is welcome to join them for breakfast. A couple years ago we had the honor of hosting a retired Colonal who was to be the Grand Marshall for our festival parade. One of his local friends collects antique cars and was providing the transport for the parade. I invited him (and his wife who declined) to breakfast. it was a joy to hear the buzz of conversation between those 2 men! (I served breakfast and retired to my Library.) And the Colonel refused to allow me to comp his room.
The only time the offer was ever extended (free) to more than one person (the friend's wife excepted from this statement) was when a boy from our church got his Eagle Scout and his aunts booked all our rooms. Our gift to the kid was for the kid and the rest of the family come for breakfast - there were 11 seated "cheek to jowl"! But they were so appreciative that they could visit on that last morning without anyone having to cook and run back & forth serving.We did add family members for a breakfast on request - for a price (too long ago to remember how much) - for Christmas for a small local family.

 

[YellowSocks]

We are near a University and we offer to have their kid join for breakfast for free for one morning of their stay. I only ask that they confirm whether or not the kid is coming by the night before. (Many times I offer and they don't come as college kids like to sleep in.) The simple fact of being offered the option has been a huge plus with my guests.
Additional breakfasts, or breakfasts for others (we've done a few) are $10pp. Sometimes I get a tip, but not often. Or sometimes the parents pay for their kid even though I said it was no charge.
My feeling is that the goodwill alone is worth it... I want them telling all their friends how wonderful this place is, and thinking of us first when they return to see their kid again.
=)
Kk.

 

[Samster]

The big question is can you charge under your licensing? If so, I would definitely charge for the 5 extra people at about $15pp. (Which is cheaper than most breakfast places, including juice and coffee.) If you cannot charge under your licensing, then I would probably just tell whomever is asking if they can have these people join them for breakfast that you are not allowed to serve anyone other than registered guests, and your breakfasts are "complimentary" for your registered guests.
This will only get you into a pickle with these folks if you've allowed someone in the requesting party to bring a kid in the past.
We would serve breakfast to the occasional relative of a guest and didn't charge them. Most of the time, our guests would leave us a nice tip for this gesture.

 

[egoodell]

I would take the occasional child (we have a university here) but are not allowed to do it. In either case, I would not take an additional 5 people which would overcrowd my dining room
Riki

 

[gillumhouse]

The big question is can you charge under your licensing? If so, I would definitely charge for the 5 extra people at about $15pp. (Which is cheaper than most breakfast places, including juice and coffee.) If you cannot charge under your licensing, then I would probably just tell whomever is asking if they can have these people join them for breakfast that you are not allowed to serve anyone other than registered guests, and your breakfasts are "complimentary" for your registered guests.
This will only get you into a pickle with these folks if you've allowed someone in the requesting party to bring a kid in the past.
We would serve breakfast to the occasional relative of a guest and didn't charge them. Most of the time, our guests would leave us a nice tip for this gesture..

I have never received a tip for including a kid for breakfast nor for the few times I have invited arrivals - who were expected to arrive AFTER the local restaurants would be closed - to join us for a veggie soup & Gillum House rolls supper. (The gentleman from Sunday asked how much they owed and I told them we had invited them to join us - did not leave a tip either.)