Italian restaurant charges Rs 1800 for slicing a birthday cake in half, sparks online controversy - Times of India

A family party at an Italian restaurant has caused quite a stir after they were charged 20 euros (approximately Rs 1800) for the service of slicing a birthday cake. The internet was left in disbelief when the bill, which quickly gained popularity on X (formerly known as Twitter), showed a separate fee of "20 X Servizio Torta" or "20 x cake service." According to The Sun, a UK tabloid, the restaurant calculated the cost of cutting the cake to be 86p per person. Despite the group already spending 121 euros on pizza, wine, and beer, it was the additional charge for cutting the cake that caught the most attention.

This is not the initial occurrence of a high-priced bill at an Italian eatery. Earlier this year, a bill from "Bar Pace" drew notice for adding a charge of over 2 euros (which is roughly 181 rupees) simply for cutting a sandwich in two. The receipt listed this charge as "diviso da meta" or "divided in half." Another receipt that went viral on TripAdvisor featured the headline "Incredible yet factual," bringing attention to this pattern of expensive bill additions.

In light of the negative feedback, restaurant proprietors stood up for their pricing strategy by highlighting the supplementary expenses linked with accommodating special orders. The establishment's owner clarified that when customers required individual portions, it entailed additional costs like extra plates, serviettes, and staff exertions.

The timeless saying that "the customer is always correct" still applies, but the owner emphasized that additional expenses are incurred for special requests.

There was another incident that occurred at "Osteria del Cavolo in Finale Ligure," where an outrageous bill was issued. The proprietor, Ida Germano, invoiced a customer two euros for a plate that was served empty. Ida Germano explained that the customer's order necessitated the utilization of several saucers because the dishes were shared. The charges were deemed legitimate as they covered the expenses of cleaning the dishes and additional services rendered.

In both situations, the occurrences of heightened billing emphasized the complexities of restaurant pricing and the reasoning behind seemingly extravagant fees.