ottawa foodies

Being an old school kind of guy, I have the increasingly rare habit of paying for most things I buy with real money, don't know why, I just never got out of the habit. More and more I am intrigued at the effect this has on people who work in the food industry. I'm not talking going to Tim's or McD's here, I pay cash even at higher end places,ie., Farbs, Frasers, Social. Recently, I had lunch at an upscale place, paid cash, and watched while my server went across the street to a gas station to get change. Regularly, servers can't make correct change, or have to go scrounging around to find the appropriate coinage. Anybody else got stories?

I pay cash and majority of cashiers can't seem to make change. I've had to tell the cashier at Loblaws numerous times how much I am owed.

If you like to eat out, this month Hintonburg Public House is running a special fundraiser encouraging people to pay cash:
"Hintonburg Public House: October 1st-31st, 2014 Help your neighbours in need by paying with cash at The HPH. We would like to raise awareness regarding the needs of the Food Centre and the exorbitant visa & master card fees for small business's by donating what we would normally pay to the HUGE corporations to our neighbors in need at the Parkdale Food Centre. We will be donating 2% of ALL CASH SALES for the entire month of October. So pay with cash & help someone local instead the big boys bottom line."

Thanks HFF, I will make an effort to get over Hintonburg.
I have also noticed in my travels, esp. to TO that a number of smaller mom and pop places have a cash only policy, and lower prices as a result.

Related but weird thing that I heard recently. I was paying at a local business and though that I was doing the best thing by paying cash, but was surprised to be told that the banks have started charging businesses to make their daily cash deposits, and that debit was actually the cheapest option for businesses.

Not sure if this is totally true, but I certainly thought it was weird.

I too pay cash and sometimes feel like I am the only one that continues this practice. And even more annoying when the cashier has to use a calculator to figure out how much change they owe me...

I went to a teller to exchange paper cash money for coin cash money and was told that I'd have to pay a 10¢ surcharge for each roll. I blew my top and after only about 10 seconds of me fuming they relented. I'm sure it's policy, but they are quick to backtrack if you say something.

Express your outrage.

Why shouldn't they charge you for rolled coins? Both the paper sleeves and the teller's salary have a cost.

Banks are posting record profits quarter after quarter, in the billion$$$. They charge for many transactions that used to be free...hmmm...thinking they can afford the paper sleeves and teller's salary. They'll charge for every single transaction if you allow them to. Give the consumers a break not the "poor struggling, trying to make payroll" banks.

Agreed. The fees would be appropriate for random "walk-ins" but should be waived if you hold an account with the bank.

I prefer when a cashier users a calculator or the register to determine how much change to give me back. Some of those jobs are so fast paced that I don't expect them to be able to quickly do the math in their head correctly for every customer. It leaves less room for errors and moves the line along more quickly.