‘It’s scam artistry’: Customer says restaurant charged them $125 cover to get a brunch table. It doesn’t go toward their food
Some restaurants require that a “minimum spend” be met for a person to eat at the restaurant. This can benefit both the restaurant and diners; the restaurant earns more money, and the diners are more likely to be seated faster given that tables aren’t being occupied by people who are only ordering drinks or small portions.
However, restaurants charging entrance fees is much less common—but that’s exactly what TikTok user @urbanposhlife says happened to her on a recent trip to Houston.
According to the TikToker in a video with over 389,000 views, she and some friends decided to visit a certain restaurant in Houston. Upon arriving, they discovered that valet parking was $40—and self-parking wasn’t much cheaper.
Rather than immediately pay the fee, a friend of the TikToker decided to go into the restaurant to see how long the wait was. There was no wait, but there was a catch.
“They tell my friend that it's $125 to get a table and you have to get two Mimosa Towers minimum,” the TikToker says. “And I'm thinking that's not awful because it's five of us…So then I asked my friend, ‘Well, does the $125 go for, like, the food and drink? Because we can spend $125. That's not a problem.”
“He said, ‘No,’” the TikToker continues.
Hearing this, the TikToker decided not to eat at the restaurant, later calling the practice a “scam.”
“Are y'all trying to make up the inflation difference with us? Because what is this?” she asks in the video.
While the TikTok creator did not identify the restaurant in the video, many Houston locals were able to determine that the restaurant in question was a place called Forget Me Not.
“This is definitely Forget Me Not,” stated a user. “They charged my sister $200 for a table and it didn’t go towards the tab. Also, the 2 Mimosa Towers.”
“Surviving Forget Me Not Houston…I’m Ready to Tell My Story!” added another.
@urbanposhlife This was the wildest thing I have ever expericed with Houston Sunday funday so far lol. The valet was expected but that other shxt, CRAZY. #houston #sundayfunday #brunch ♬ original sound - goshbee
Reading Google reviews for the bar, many negative reviews line up with the story shared by the TikToker.
“We came at 11:45 and were rudely told if we were to be seated together we’d have to pay $120 and get two drink towers. If not it was a 30 minute wait to be seated separately,” said one reviewer.
“After a 2 hour wait they then asked my cousin if it would be cash or card and we were all confused. It was for paying the $150 table fee just to sit down,” shared a second. “That fee does not go towards food or drinks. $150 just to sit down.”
Others in Google reviews shared similar over-the-top charges.
“Once at the door the Security ‘Personnel’ tried to charge some of the males for having on solid polo shirts not tee shirts an additional $25 a person,” recalled a reviewer. “We were so confused. What is this dress code that is not disclosed all of sudden? So basically we paid $160 for parking then they wanted to hit us with another $100 for a dress code that was just created at that moment. Totaling $260 before we have even made it in to eat.”
In a follow-up video, the TikToker confirmed that the bar was Forget Me Not. She also says that she ended up eating at another bar called 5015, to which she gave glowing praise.
@urbanposhlife Replying to @James Beeks #greenscreen #houston #brunch #sundayfunday #houstonbrunch ♬ original sound - goshbee
Commenters on this video continued to share their distaste for table fees.
“People just need to boycott places with crazy prices like that,” declared a commenter. “$125 to sit at a table is criminal.”
“Girl they’re starting to do this in Dallas too,” explained an additional user. “Like why doesn’t the deposit go towards anything?”
The Daily Dot reached out to @urbanposhlife via TikTok comment and Forget Me Not via email.
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