Should restaurants be required to give complementary water to paying customers?

Personally, I think they should. I know it is their right to make money on beverages, but basic water should be free.

In the last two weeks, I have had to pay for bottled water at two different places.

That's stupid, hell yes the water should be free of all things.

I don't expect them to give you complimentary BOTTLED water. If it's just fountain water, then that's very different from bottled in terms of price.

I don't think it should be REQUIRED. I think if a restaurant wants to charge for water, they should be permitted to. It's just that a restaurant that charges for water is likely to not make a good name for themselves, especially in a world in which soft drinks are so frowned upon. If they are willing to come off as the greedy bastards they would be seen as if they charge for water, I don't feel it's the law's business to stop them.

I thought water was free everywhere? At least every place in my area doesn't seem to charge for it by the glass.

We get glasses of water here for free, no bottled water that I have ever seen.

Forgiveness Man wrote:I don't expect them to give you complimentary BOTTLED water. If it's just fountain water, then that's very different from bottled in terms of price.

I don't think it should be REQUIRED. I think if a restaurant wants to charge for water, they should be permitted to. It's just that a restaurant that charges for water is likely to not make a good name for themselves, especially in a world in which soft drinks are so frowned upon. If they are willing to come off as the greedy bastards they would be seen as if they charge for water, I don't feel it's the law's business to stop them.

I didn't mean I expected free bottled.

In both cases, tap water for free was not an option and to get water, bottled had to be purchased. The first one, I kind of understood. It was before the game at a bar and she said that they only sold bottled water on game day, up until half time. The second instance was at a Chinese restaurant. When I said I wanted two waters, he pointed me to the cooler. I said, "No, I just want to cups of tap water." He said, nope, they don't give out free cups of water. I won't be going back there.

^^^^Well, if a restaurant doesn't give out tap water, I suppose that is their right. I don't think it's wise to mandate that a restaurant really offer anything for sale. How we respond to a restaurant is our business and we've a right to shun such places and they'll have to live with the loss of clientele. But I don't think it's the law's place to require them to serve water.

Half the time we go out, we have water and lemon. We have never been charged for a glass of water. We have been given the pitch to buy bottled water. We always come back with why would we pay for water in plastic that is about identical to tap and wastes more resources packaged in plastic.

RedBedroom wrote:Personally, I think they should. I know it is their right to make money on beverages, but basic water should be free.

In the last two weeks, I have had to pay for bottled water at two different places.

I've never paid for a glass of water, it's always complimentary. Bottled water of course, your expected to pay.

around here in the summer because of low water tables, you have to ask for water...because they are encouraged to conserve. But i have never paid for water because they made me buy a bottle because they did not want to give me tap

I agree that glasses of water should be complimentary but I've never been in a restaurant where they offered free bottled water.

At the risk of sounding repetitive, I am going to agree with what's been said here already. Glasses of tap water and unlimited refills should be on the house, but bottled water not so much.

Pretty much

If it me, I would prefer to get a glass of complimentary water because at least then you can get ice and as many refills as you ask for.