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Austrian Pizzeria Charges €11 When Diners Share a Pizza

Owners cite the need to protect revenue per seat.

Overview

  • A pizzeria in Grieskirchen lists pizzas as priced per person and adds an €11 fee when two people share, so the visiting family ordered a second pizza instead.
  • The father who raised the issue said the rule was excessive and unfair after he saw the surcharge spelled out on the menu.
  • Industry representative Ernst Pühringer defended such fees, saying higher costs for staff, energy and rent make it vital that each occupied seat generates enough revenue.
  • Some restaurateurs apply the rule with leeway and may waive the charge when a parent shares with a child and overall spending at the table is sufficient.
  • Reports cite earlier cases such as an €8 charge for an empty plate at a Wörthersee restaurant, and the practice—often called a Räuberteller, meaning an extra plate for sharing—has drawn mixed reactions in online forums.