Off The Record

Daughter Snaps Photo Of Receipt, Mom Notices Diner Secretly Charged Her For Being A Teen

Published on July 17, 2024

Melissa Desch would take her family to the same cafe in Wayne, New Jersey, every year. Where “gratuities are appreciated,” but not necessary.

That’s what it says on all of its receipts, anyhow.

*For illustration purposes only* | Pexels

Melissa’s daughter Bella, then eleven, went out to a diner one day with some of her girlfriends. After placing her milkshake order, she texted Melissa a picture of her signed receipt.

That’s when Melissa saw an additional price that Bella hadn’t approved being added to the bill; in addition, Bella’s friends’ milkshake orders had comparable costs.

Melissa had in fact visited the same restaurant earlier in the day, but her order included no unusual fees.

Bella had been subjected to the infamous “teen tax.”

NJ101.5 reported: “Former server Erika Carty explained in a comment on the diner’s Facebook page that teens can be frustrating to have as customers. ‘I can personally attest to how frustrating it is to have a group of 6 to 8 teens, walk in, take up 2 or 3 tables, order something for a dollar, sit at those tables for a couple of hours, then leave a mess and no tip. Good for the restaurant.‘”

The surprise price infuriated Melissa so much that she would not set foot in the diner again.