Power sockets in restaurants

Author
Discussion

craigjm

Original Poster:

18,635 posts

210 months

Monday 30th September 2024
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I went to a mid range restaurant in London for lunch today that has a number of power sockets around the restaurant for cleaning. I counted four customers that had just decided to take it upon themselves to take that electricity to either charge their phones, iPads or in one case his business laptop closed on the chair next to him.

Am I the only one that thinks this is poor form? If I was the restaurant owner I wouldn’t be very happy about that. I am a grumpy old man? hehe

Rough101

2,403 posts

85 months

Monday 30th September 2024
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In the grand scheme of things it costs nothing, wouldn’t bother me.

SlimJim16v

6,273 posts

153 months

Monday 30th September 2024
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Without permission, it's taking the piss.

xx99xx

2,381 posts

83 months

Monday 30th September 2024
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It was lunch time, people are still working. Not a problem. Restaurants should provide more sockets if they want customers on a working lunch.

TheLurker

1,458 posts

206 months

Monday 30th September 2024
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I thought that was a fairly normal thing to do? Given the reliance on technology we all have, it seems fairly standard to often need to charge something up, a lot of places specifically seem to put in sockets for this.

Granted, I guess it's less accepted in a decent restaurant to McDonalds or an airport cafe etc, and I don't think I'd plug something in unless it was obvious they were designed for customers, but don't think it's a massive issue. Just seems to be part of the modern world.

On that note, I wish more places would put charge sockets in, which is actually a sad reflection on our modern reliance on technology.

Granadier

703 posts

37 months

Monday 30th September 2024
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Some Wetherspoons have power outlets for customers' benefit

monthou

4,911 posts

60 months

Monday 30th September 2024
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Charging my laptop at home for an hour costs me about 1p.
I imagine restaurateurs have bigger things to worry about.

Zaichik

307 posts

46 months

Monday 30th September 2024
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I plug my Tesla in at some restaurants.

21TonyK

12,085 posts

219 months

Monday 30th September 2024
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10+ years ago I added several sockets along the base of our banquette seating specifically for people to charge phones. Nowadays I am seeing USB ports for charging in some places and sockets under tabletops. Most recently in the retro-themed Brightside diners USB ports at table level hidden behind the cruet sets.

If you have a place now I think you can expect your patrons to want and need wifi and power.