Charging for additional folks at breakfast

[JBloggs]

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.)
.

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.)

Listen it is because innkeepers are nice. They think we ONLY DO THIS FOR FUN.
I will admit being nice yesterday and today - what did I do? A couple NO-SHOWED. What does this mean? It means the innkeepers don't sleep as you have a note out and think they will show up any time and then they don't.
Then they called the next afternoon and said "We are checking in later and..." I said NO YOUR RESERVATION WAS FOR YESTERDAY. What would a hotel do if they showed up a DAY LATE? Say sure thing, come on in? What did the innkeeper do? Allow them to stay the next day, even though with two confirmations and our little "Your reservation is 3 days away" email reminder, all with correct dates. He screwed up, and was sorry and so I said COME ON IN. I delivered breakfast today, had lillies in their room and a card for her as she is expecting her first baby.
We are always nice. We aren't in this to actually pay any bills.
I had the heat on all night for them, and allowed them to come the day later anyway and made it extra special, because this is how I am, and I kick myself, but it is how I am...
Even though a room two weeks ago said we have no hospitality and are lower than a motel. I am still in shock over it.
Lord save us innkeepers from madness!

 

[birdwatcher]

If we were at a place that had college kids or a boarding school and parents come to visit we would offer breakfast for their kid at least one morning but we would definantely charge if they will want to include more than one or two.
Charge them whatever you think is appropriate. and maybe put it in your policies if you have parents visiting that one free breakfast with their child is good (or if they have more than one) but more than that there will be a charge of ___$ then you and the guests know that ahead of time.

 

[HighMountainLodge]

Before we bought the High Mountain Lodge, we stayed at a midwest Bed and Breakfast several times while vetting the school our son was planning to attend. We asked the innkeepers if they could accommodate a "family breakfast" and they said "sure!" They wouldn't let us pay for the additional people (a big chunk of the family swooped down). We did leave a tip, but not enough to cover the extra people. That was *before* we understood the ins and outs of B&B regulations. It's the same in our state: you charge for food: you're a "restaurant." And the rules change. Boy, do they change! Our B&B hosts didn't say a word about their limitations. We only figured them out after we bought the High Mountain Lodge and started talking to the licensing authorities.
We had a delightful breakfast at their B&B, and it wasn't until the family was leaving that we were shocked that they wouldn't accept money for the extra people. Knowing what I do now, I would have *insisted* on giving them a tip, but we were naive about the industry then.
Surely, there must be a way to inform guests about the food service limitations a B&B is operating on. Mind you, we serve "simple suppers" during ski season, in addition to "apès ski" happy hour wine and cheese."
We've come up with a pretty simple one. The liquor is easy: "Oh, beer and wine are complimentary! Can I refill your glass?" For food, we respond, "Of course your son is welcome! Is he bringing any friends? No, there's no charge. We aren't a restaurant, so we can't charge for extra people who aren't staying with us. We're just glad you're here!"
Some guests get a gleam in their eye that they've found the most excellent deal in the universe. But most understand and we find money left in the room.
And if we don't, it's no big deal.

 

[agoodman]

Again the "food service limitations" need to be measured against common sense and hospitality, there are those who know no way no how are allowed to do it, there are those that like to interpret them as "convenient" so as not to serve extra breakfasts and there are those as shown in this forum and this thread that "good goes around" whether or not they charged for the extra breakfast and where common sense prevailed!!!

 

[Alibi Ike]

Before we bought the High Mountain Lodge, we stayed at a midwest Bed and Breakfast several times while vetting the school our son was planning to attend. We asked the innkeepers if they could accommodate a "family breakfast" and they said "sure!" They wouldn't let us pay for the additional people (a big chunk of the family swooped down). We did leave a tip, but not enough to cover the extra people. That was *before* we understood the ins and outs of B&B regulations. It's the same in our state: you charge for food: you're a "restaurant." And the rules change. Boy, do they change! Our B&B hosts didn't say a word about their limitations. We only figured them out after we bought the High Mountain Lodge and started talking to the licensing authorities.
We had a delightful breakfast at their B&B, and it wasn't until the family was leaving that we were shocked that they wouldn't accept money for the extra people. Knowing what I do now, I would have *insisted* on giving them a tip, but we were naive about the industry then.
Surely, there must be a way to inform guests about the food service limitations a B&B is operating on. Mind you, we serve "simple suppers" during ski season, in addition to "apès ski" happy hour wine and cheese."
We've come up with a pretty simple one. The liquor is easy: "Oh, beer and wine are complimentary! Can I refill your glass?" For food, we respond, "Of course your son is welcome! Is he bringing any friends? No, there's no charge. We aren't a restaurant, so we can't charge for extra people who aren't staying with us. We're just glad you're here!"
Some guests get a gleam in their eye that they've found the most excellent deal in the universe. But most understand and we find money left in the room.
And if we don't, it's no big deal..

We've come up with a pretty simple one. The liquor is easy: "Oh, beer and wine are complimentary! Can I refill your glass?" For food, we respond, "Of course your son is welcome! Is he bringing any friends? No, there's no charge. We aren't a restaurant, so we can't charge for extra people who aren't staying with us. We're just glad you're here!"

Ah the vagaries of the licensing boards. Ours has quite nicely told us that serving alcohol is illegal. If I say it's complimentary they say it's included in the price of the room so it has been paid for so I actually have sold alcohol without a license to do so. Ding! We also cannot serve breakfast to anyone who is not a paying guest. Matters not if I say it's free, no can do.
Of course the point has been brought up to me by guests, sarcastically, many a time that it's unlikely the inspector will walk through the door and ask questions at the exact moment I put breakfast in front of a friend of a guest.
To my way of thinking anyone who would wilfully try to circumvent the regulations and think it's no big deal for me to break the state regulations is not really the type of guest I want.

 

[JBloggs]

Breaking the law is common sense?

Tell that to the ATF.
Tell that to the IRS.
Put people down on the forum for saying they are unwilling to break the law just to make people "feel good" about staying with us.
Breaking the law is not "Hospitality" nor is it common sense prevailing.
I don't get this mentality at all.

 

[gillumhouse]

Before we bought the High Mountain Lodge, we stayed at a midwest Bed and Breakfast several times while vetting the school our son was planning to attend. We asked the innkeepers if they could accommodate a "family breakfast" and they said "sure!" They wouldn't let us pay for the additional people (a big chunk of the family swooped down). We did leave a tip, but not enough to cover the extra people. That was *before* we understood the ins and outs of B&B regulations. It's the same in our state: you charge for food: you're a "restaurant." And the rules change. Boy, do they change! Our B&B hosts didn't say a word about their limitations. We only figured them out after we bought the High Mountain Lodge and started talking to the licensing authorities.
We had a delightful breakfast at their B&B, and it wasn't until the family was leaving that we were shocked that they wouldn't accept money for the extra people. Knowing what I do now, I would have *insisted* on giving them a tip, but we were naive about the industry then.
Surely, there must be a way to inform guests about the food service limitations a B&B is operating on. Mind you, we serve "simple suppers" during ski season, in addition to "apès ski" happy hour wine and cheese."
We've come up with a pretty simple one. The liquor is easy: "Oh, beer and wine are complimentary! Can I refill your glass?" For food, we respond, "Of course your son is welcome! Is he bringing any friends? No, there's no charge. We aren't a restaurant, so we can't charge for extra people who aren't staying with us. We're just glad you're here!"
Some guests get a gleam in their eye that they've found the most excellent deal in the universe. But most understand and we find money left in the room.
And if we don't, it's no big deal..

We've come up with a pretty simple one. The liquor is easy: "Oh, beer and wine are complimentary! Can I refill your glass?" For food, we respond, "Of course your son is welcome! Is he bringing any friends? No, there's no charge. We aren't a restaurant, so we can't charge for extra people who aren't staying with us. We're just glad you're here!"

Ah the vagaries of the licensing boards. Ours has quite nicely told us that serving alcohol is illegal. If I say it's complimentary they say it's included in the price of the room so it has been paid for so I actually have sold alcohol without a license to do so. Ding! We also cannot serve breakfast to anyone who is not a paying guest. Matters not if I say it's free, no can do.
Of course the point has been brought up to me by guests, sarcastically, many a time that it's unlikely the inspector will walk through the door and ask questions at the exact moment I put breakfast in front of a friend of a guest.
To my way of thinking anyone who would wilfully try to circumvent the regulations and think it's no big deal for me to break the state regulations is not really the type of guest I want.
.

In YOUR situation there is no way in H I would do anything differnt than you do. All you need is for someone to say something to the wrong person and you are dumped on. I am so small that I rarely have more than 2 couples and even if i have a full-house, they breakfast at different times usually. I stick to the rules for the most part.(nuch easier that way) and it is rare that the kid is willing to get up early enough to drive 45 min to have breakfast with the Ps. If anything I get the we will not be having breakfast because we are going up to the U to have breakfst with the kid. But, yes, I do offer

 

[Mini]

Another b & b in our city had an open house for all to view their b & b when it had first opened last year.
They had all sorts of trays of fruits, veggies, dainties for viewers to taste. Now I do know that their b & b is not allowed to serve any other meal but breakfast but I have always wondered about serving food at an open house. I plan to ask the health inspector when he comes around next month because our place is going to be on the historical tour in June and we would love to have some treats out. I'm sure he will say NO.
Have any of you, who are not allowed to serve any other meal but breakfast, encountered a situation like this?

 

[EmptyNest]

Another b & b in our city had an open house for all to view their b & b when it had first opened last year.
They had all sorts of trays of fruits, veggies, dainties for viewers to taste. Now I do know that their b & b is not allowed to serve any other meal but breakfast but I have always wondered about serving food at an open house. I plan to ask the health inspector when he comes around next month because our place is going to be on the historical tour in June and we would love to have some treats out. I'm sure he will say NO.
Have any of you, who are not allowed to serve any other meal but breakfast, encountered a situation like this?.

We did open house and never had a problem. In this case, you are opening your place up to the public and it is not a meal that is being served. We just had punch and cookies. Not an issue here.

 

[Alibi Ike]

Another b & b in our city had an open house for all to view their b & b when it had first opened last year.
They had all sorts of trays of fruits, veggies, dainties for viewers to taste. Now I do know that their b & b is not allowed to serve any other meal but breakfast but I have always wondered about serving food at an open house. I plan to ask the health inspector when he comes around next month because our place is going to be on the historical tour in June and we would love to have some treats out. I'm sure he will say NO.
Have any of you, who are not allowed to serve any other meal but breakfast, encountered a situation like this?.

Have any of you, who are not allowed to serve any other meal but breakfast, encountered a situation like this?

The health inspector here said the same thing. Nothing other than breakfast UNLESS it is pre-packaged and I don't take the wrappers off. I could have someone with a commercial kitchen make food for an event (cheese trays and the like) but I cannot touch it or serve it myself. So, if the cook will deliver and set up and I don't touch it, good to go.
I think the inspector is on the run now, tho, because there are whole towns here advertising their open houses and cookie trails and the like and I know they're making and serving the food themselves.
It's a much bigger expense to have someone else make the food, that's for sure, but it is a way around the regs. At least it is here.

 

[Samster]

Before we bought the High Mountain Lodge, we stayed at a midwest Bed and Breakfast several times while vetting the school our son was planning to attend. We asked the innkeepers if they could accommodate a "family breakfast" and they said "sure!" They wouldn't let us pay for the additional people (a big chunk of the family swooped down). We did leave a tip, but not enough to cover the extra people. That was *before* we understood the ins and outs of B&B regulations. It's the same in our state: you charge for food: you're a "restaurant." And the rules change. Boy, do they change! Our B&B hosts didn't say a word about their limitations. We only figured them out after we bought the High Mountain Lodge and started talking to the licensing authorities.
We had a delightful breakfast at their B&B, and it wasn't until the family was leaving that we were shocked that they wouldn't accept money for the extra people. Knowing what I do now, I would have *insisted* on giving them a tip, but we were naive about the industry then.
Surely, there must be a way to inform guests about the food service limitations a B&B is operating on. Mind you, we serve "simple suppers" during ski season, in addition to "apès ski" happy hour wine and cheese."
We've come up with a pretty simple one. The liquor is easy: "Oh, beer and wine are complimentary! Can I refill your glass?" For food, we respond, "Of course your son is welcome! Is he bringing any friends? No, there's no charge. We aren't a restaurant, so we can't charge for extra people who aren't staying with us. We're just glad you're here!"
Some guests get a gleam in their eye that they've found the most excellent deal in the universe. But most understand and we find money left in the room.
And if we don't, it's no big deal..

Businesses here may not even have alcohol on the premises without a liquor license. It doesn't matter if you live in your business. However, we had our personal alcohol locked up and in our living space. We never served alcohol to the guests. We have an attorney friend who would have taken on our case pro bono if the City took issue with us. A business owner here was hauled away to jail for serving complimentary mimosas. Created a big stink, but didn't change the law.
Meanwhile, we had B&Bs here serving complimentary hard liquor and wine for years without any kind of licensing...before they were found out.
It's a slippery slope when you try to navigate around liquor laws.
Serving breakfast to the occasional relative...well, maybe they were registered guests, too.

 

[Samster]

Another b & b in our city had an open house for all to view their b & b when it had first opened last year.
They had all sorts of trays of fruits, veggies, dainties for viewers to taste. Now I do know that their b & b is not allowed to serve any other meal but breakfast but I have always wondered about serving food at an open house. I plan to ask the health inspector when he comes around next month because our place is going to be on the historical tour in June and we would love to have some treats out. I'm sure he will say NO.
Have any of you, who are not allowed to serve any other meal but breakfast, encountered a situation like this?.

We were only allowed to serve breakfast and snacks for our guests. There was no definition of "snacks", but it clearly did not mean other meals.
We were on a historical tour of homes and local restaurants were brought into the various homes to cook food and serve it to the tour participants. In that instance, their catering license came into play.

 

[agoodman]

Breaking the law is common sense?

Tell that to the ATF.
Tell that to the IRS.
Put people down on the forum for saying they are unwilling to break the law just to make people "feel good" about staying with us.
Breaking the law is not "Hospitality" nor is it common sense prevailing.
I don't get this mentality at all..

Breaking the law is common sense?

Tell that to the ATF.
Tell that to the IRS.
Put people down on the forum for saying they are unwilling to break the law just to make people "feel good" about staying with us.
Breaking the law is not "Hospitality" nor is it common sense prevailing.
I don't get this mentality at all.

Perhaps you missed the first bit: Again the "food service limitations" need to be measured against common sense and hospitality, there are those who know no way no how are allowed to do it
The rest related to people who did not fall in that category. Please do not put words in my mouth

 

[Breakfast Diva]

We have just spent thousands of dollars so we can do things legally by getting our full service license. Our health inspector used to come with our website printed up and would grill me on our picnic basket & fondue package. We had to have only purchased items in both. No cooking on my part. Even if our inspector wasn't so intense, I would still do everything legally. It's just not worth putting your business at risk for "good feelings" of guests.
There are others around me who skirt the legal aspects and don't get caught. Personally, I think it's a reflection of the professionalism of your business. If guests are told that you can't legally do what they are asking, they will understand. And they will respect your more.

 

[Joey Camb]

we are lucky we can serve anything we like as long as we keep the temperatures etc correctly and the previous people used to do catered lunches (I am so not doing that but if i wanted to) also the people before that used to run a restaurant out of the basement (we sometimes get mail with the restaurant manager or B's kitchen on it)

 

[Country Girl]

So, after it was all said and done, I didn't charge them and they left a great tip. Everyone was happy!

 

[Alibi Ike]

So, after it was all said and done, I didn't charge them and they left a great tip. Everyone was happy!.

So, after it was all said and done, I didn't charge them and they left a great tip. Everyone was happy!

So there you go, a solution that worked for you!

 

[HighMountainLodge]

Thanks to some pro-active lobbying by the BBIC (Bed & Breakfast Inns of Colorado) years ago, the Colorado legislature created a B&B liquor license. For less than $100 a year, (both state and county applications), B&Bs can serve complimentary wine and beer for a designated 4 hours a day for registered guests only. It's perfect; it's a no-brainer; and most importantly, it doesn't subject us to the brain damage of the inspections required by state liquor laws.
Also, since we don't sell liquor, and beverages are only available to our guests, it means that we won't have people on a pub-crawl coming to visit.
BBIC efforts also ensured that food prep regulations for B&Bs in Colorado were not draconian. Since most are pretty small operations, B&Bs are not subject to state inspection. However, because we are members of BBIC, we are subject to their inspection, which is equally rigorous and covers all aspects of our operation.
It's a win-win situation. Our state B&B organization (*not* the state) guarantees that we are up to snuff. During ski season, we serve a complimentary simple supper to our guests in addition to breakfast. As long as we don't charge for it, we stay out of the restaurant category. Of course, it's factored into our room pricing, but during ski season, lodging costs in our area can triple. Since our marketing is to middle-of-the road guests, our tariffs are below what the high-end places charge, even with our supper.
My wife's aunt & uncle ran a B&B in North Carolina, and we have heard horror stories about state regulations. Colorado isn't the wild west any more, but our B&B regs seem to be based on common sense. Knowing what some of you go through, we feel lucky.

 

[Samster]

Thanks to some pro-active lobbying by the BBIC (Bed & Breakfast Inns of Colorado) years ago, the Colorado legislature created a B&B liquor license. For less than $100 a year, (both state and county applications), B&Bs can serve complimentary wine and beer for a designated 4 hours a day for registered guests only. It's perfect; it's a no-brainer; and most importantly, it doesn't subject us to the brain damage of the inspections required by state liquor laws.
Also, since we don't sell liquor, and beverages are only available to our guests, it means that we won't have people on a pub-crawl coming to visit.
BBIC efforts also ensured that food prep regulations for B&Bs in Colorado were not draconian. Since most are pretty small operations, B&Bs are not subject to state inspection. However, because we are members of BBIC, we are subject to their inspection, which is equally rigorous and covers all aspects of our operation.
It's a win-win situation. Our state B&B organization (*not* the state) guarantees that we are up to snuff. During ski season, we serve a complimentary simple supper to our guests in addition to breakfast. As long as we don't charge for it, we stay out of the restaurant category. Of course, it's factored into our room pricing, but during ski season, lodging costs in our area can triple. Since our marketing is to middle-of-the road guests, our tariffs are below what the high-end places charge, even with our supper.
My wife's aunt & uncle ran a B&B in North Carolina, and we have heard horror stories about state regulations. Colorado isn't the wild west any more, but our B&B regs seem to be based on common sense. Knowing what some of you go through, we feel lucky..

Common sense is lacking here in this Southern state when it comes to B&B regulations, I think. Also, they will tell you that you only have to do one step when in reality there are many more steps....
We call it a time warp.

 

[HighMountainLodge]

LOL. Time warp, indeed. But common sense is relative when it comes to state regulations.
If I seem to be bragging and making things seem rosy regarding food and liquor, perhaps I should mention that our dealings with the multiple water authorities about our well and septic permits, not to mention the status of our water rights and the multiple attorneys we currently have on retainer, or how quickly we could respond to a "water call" from a senior water-rights holder downstream.
I'm pretty sure more people in Colorado have been murdered over water than over money and sex put together.
Tom