Sydney’s Woodland Cafe comes under fire for unbelievable act after customers order no ice with their drinks

Furious customers have criticised a café for a ‘sneaky’ surcharge on its menu, and the owners have responded.

Woodland Cafe in Mascot, Sydney, charges $7 for a juice, but customers who don’t want ice cream have to pay an extra $1.

Customers reacted outraged to the surcharge after a man shared a photo of his receipt on social media showing the surcharge for “no ice cream”.

The cafe’s management defended the surcharge by saying that extra juice is needed to fill the cup, Yahoo News reported.

Although the surcharge was clearly stated on the cafe’s menu, many Australians called the practice ridiculous and stingy, sparking a divided debate online.

“Ice costs restaurants and cafes money. Some have expensive ice cream machines and make it themselves, others buy ice cream… If you don’t want ice cream, you save the cafe money. It should be equal,” one person wrote.

Another added: ‘Either way it’s sneaky and cafes get away with these sneaky charges because customers don’t ask or challenge them.

A third commented: ‘It’s disgusting. They charge more than enough to cover their costs. Don’t normalise this. Would 2 ice cubes be enough… without the cost?’

Others disagreed, feeling it was fair to pay for the extra juice, since the ice took up one-seventh of the cup’s contents.

Sandy Fitzgerald, a senior lecturer in marketing at RMIT, told Yahoo that customers can be fickle in times of crisis.

Businesses argue that benefits keep their doors open because operating costs are higher on certain days (particularly payroll costs),’ she said.

‘However, many people have criticized restaurateurs for charging excessive fees but not delivering good service experiences. Customers avoid dining during these times, which means the business generates less revenue.

Ms Fitzgerald suggested that restaurants find ‘creative’ ways to break even rather than relying on ‘‘exorbitant surcharges’.

Hospitality businesses are struggling. According to a report by CreditorWatch, one in eleven businesses is expected to go bankrupt in the next 12 months.

The cafe owners said the $1 charge is reasonable because of the extra juice they have to add to the drink if there is no ice in the cup

Many Australians called Woodland’s no-ice fee ridiculous and stingy

A drastic drop in customer spending is the main driver of this forecast as inflation continues to rise, the likelihood of an increase increases pressure on the cost of living.

Experts have warned Companies avoid unnecessary surcharges to retain customers.

Other catering establishments have also been criticised for adding unnecessary costs to the menu.

Peter Williams posted a review of the Leaf and Vine cafe in Melbourne’s east, criticizing the establishment for charging a $1 surcharge to heat up his muffin.

Cafe owners Bec and Pete Murray blame the ‘mistake’ on an inexperienced cashier and a till with too many options.

Mrs Murray assured customers that the café does not usually charge for reheating a muffin.

Another guest expressed his frustration when he was charged a 10.79 percent surcharge for his dinner at a restaurant in June.

The restaurant bill was increased by 0.79 percent because it was paid by card. In addition, an additional 10 percent was added because it was the weekend.