[Couch]

I really can't believe this thread is still going, lol.

I'm curious, OP, are yall allowed to eat while you work or do you have to take a lunch? If you can eat and work, tell him to eat at his desk when you get back from lunch.

Just be honest with the guy.

[E92-Lighting]

Originally Posted by Comet

ask him if you had a business lunch if he would bring his own lunch

true that

[Googie]

Okay here is the solution:

You guys all pretend that you think his idea is great and that you are all going to do the same thing. Next day all you guys bring brown bag lunches. Tell the little douch that it's a great idea and you can all save money. Then tell him that you guys are all going to a restaurant anyway and invite him along. Tell him it will be great, you can all sit in a restaurant and not spend a penny.
See if he has a weird look on his face or maybe he won't want to go along. If he agrees to go....great! Go to some place where you are pretty sure you will be asked to leave and after you all have to leave in the middle of eating your homemade lunches you can all tell him what a douch he is and that that was your favorite restaurant. I think he will get the idea.

[mrgoochio]

roofle

[TTexan]

At least you don't have to sneak out of the office so you don't have to eat with certain people. 3 of us in the office are good friends, one guy is always trying to go eat with us, we leave at straggered times and then meet up on the bottom floor to avoid him.

It's kind of funny, but annoying.

[Spec 1]

Originally Posted by Kroy

You just basically said the restaurant should suck it up and clean after the guy and serve him water because his 'friends' are paying customers. Maybe the restaurant will allow it becuase they're afraid of offending the paying customers, but that's still infringing on the restaurant's hospitality. Do you not think homemade lunch boy is making the situation more awkward for everyone involved? What about the server who needs to bring him water without tip, or the busboy who needs to clean up after him. Not very fair to them, is it? Also, the water may be free, but the labor needed to serve the drink, and clean the cup isn't free; I might sound petty, but what if EVERY table brought an extra friend to dine with them? What if one of OP's usual lunch crowd couldn't make it? They could have sat as a 2 top instead of wasting a larger table for home lunch.

I don't know how you don't get the analogy of walking into someone else's home to eat lunch. In basically all hospitality establishments, the customers are refered to as "guests." In a hotel you are liable for your guests as if they were staying at your house. I assume the restaurant is just as liable. In another stupid but possible senario, what if the home lunch guy choked on his home made lunch; should the restaurant have to deal with that?

I respect your opinion spec, and maybe I'm speaking out of my ass but I just don't understand how you can think bringing a home lunch ISN'T in some way infringing on the restaurant. Heck, some establishments even say "restroom is for paying guests only." That pretty much defeats your free water argument as water ISN'T FREE.

Water is free, bro. How many times in your life have you looked at your bill and been charged for water? Never. That wasn't meant for you to bring a bunch of technicalties into it. And what cleaning are they going to have? A paper bag to throw away? Like that seriously affects anybody. I did suggest he tips $1-2 for sitting there, out of common courtesy. That would more than cover any 'hastle' of bringing another water cup or adding 1 piece of trash to the table.

To each their own. It's really up to the restaurant, so if they don't say anything, don't worry about it. Kroy & others sounds like they'd run a restaurant like the Soup Nazi (No water for you! 1 year!), haha. I guess I'd just be a bit more professional.