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Ice-Cream Parlor Near Vienna Adds 70-Cent Glass Fee Prompting Disclosure Dispute

The case underscores that extra fees in restaurants are legal only when posted plainly.

Overview

  • Two guests who ordered an iced coffee and a yogurt cup found a separate “GLAS Aufpreis” of €0.70 per glass on their receipt, which staff said covers washing and would otherwise mean a disposable cup.
  • The owner defends the charge as a substitute for a table fee and says a sign outside the shop explains the surcharge.
  • The customer says no one mentioned the fee at ordering, he saw no notice, and he calls the practice unfair and says he will not return.
  • Consumer-law guidance cited in coverage says add-on charges are allowed only if they are stated up front and clearly shown to customers.
  • Reports frame the issue within rising cost pressures on cafés, noting a WKO 2023 estimate that a half-liter of water costs operators about €0.9994 before profit, while no official complaint or regulator action has been reported.