If you can’t finish your meal and want to take it away, you will have to pay an additional 6 yuan as “meal box fee” on the bill. The restaurant’s explanation is even more controversial.

It is a common practice for many consumers to ask for a box from the waiter after finishing their meal at a restaurant. ButNorth Carolina A woman recently said that after eating at a restaurant she just wanted the rest of the foodItaly When I took the noodles home, the bill was an additional 6 yuan for “meal box fee”. The store explained that the money was not a packaging fee, but only to cover the promotional price difference for internal use, which made many netizens even more confused: If you have already sat down to eat, will the leftover portion not be counted as internal use?

According to the New York Post, the incident occurred at STATS restaurant in Charlotte. A female customer using the “Millionaire Mess” account posted on social platformsthreads Posted the receipt and questioned why the store included a $6 “to go box” fee in addition to the meal fee. The bill also includes service charge, tips and taxes, making this additional charge a cause for concern.

The female customer told that she did not order takeout as soon as she entered the store, but spent the money in the restaurant with her friends. Apart from food, he also ordered liquor and hookah. After the meal, I couldn’t finish the entire portion of pasta, so I asked the store to provide a takeaway box, but I didn’t expect to pay extra for it.

Online media Dexerto reported that as of the time of its report on the 6th, the related post had been viewed more than 868,000 times, which attracted a large number of netizens to discuss it. The female customer then said that she was not concerned about the price of the food, but rather why she was charged extra for taking away food that she had already paid for but could not finish.

She emphasized that she did not deliberately take advantage of the store’s dine-in discount to buy takeout food at a cheaper price, but actually sat down in the restaurant to eat, and finally felt full. Whether the store calls that money a meal box fee or refers to it as a restoration of the original price, to him it means he has to pay more because he didn’t finish the meal.

In the face of doubt, STATS released a statement on Instagram, saying that the half-price pasta program launched on Wednesday was only applicable to dine-in customers; If promotional meals are removed, they will be adjusted back to normal price. The store said that the 6 yuan upon receipt was a price adjustment made by the system and not the cost of the packaging box.

The restaurant also said it understands the importance of clear communication and will adjust the system to allow receipts to more accurately display price changes and clearly explain tips and promotional rules to customers. However, this explanation still did not eliminate the female customer’s doubts, as she believed that packing leftover food for internal use and purchasing take-out food directly were two different situations.

The incident also drew netizens’ attention to the multiple surcharges on the bill. Some people question that apart from the food charges, service charges, tips and packaging related expenses also have to be paid. Actual expenditure differs greatly from original expectations. Some people think that if there are restrictions on discounts, it should be made clear when ordering, so that customers can decide in advance whether to accept it or not.

Some netizens joked that they might even bring a ziplock bag next time to avoid paying for an incomplete meal; Others said that after seeing such a bill, they should find another restaurant. However, some supporters believe STATS’ food is worth the price, and not all comments are in favor of complaining customers.