Greggs charges extra to sit in primarily due to Value Added Tax (VAT), as UK law requires a 20% tax on hot food eaten on-premises. When food is taken away, it is often zero-rated, but eating in classifies the purchase as restaurant service. This "sit-in tax" covers the higher costs of providing seating, cleaning, and facilities.
We have to charge VAT if you wish to 'eat in' which we then pass over to HMRC. We also charge a little extra in our café shops as we provide additional services. We'll always let you know by showing both the eat in and takeaway prices on our shelf tickets.
You can get free Greggs primarily through the Greggs App for a welcome hot/iced drink, a birthday sweet treat, and stamps towards more freebies, or by using linked apps like Monzo (for Perks/Max users for weekly treats) or Confused.com (for insurance customers getting monthly drinks), plus occasional offers via other loyalty programs or student discounts at certain stores.
It's quite common to pay more for dining in. Cafes have to pay for wait staff and cleaning staff and replacement for proper cups, glasses and plates, etc. Costs they don't incur for pure takeaway.
Can I refuse to pay a service charge at a restaurant?
Yes, you can often refuse to pay a restaurant service charge, especially if it's discretionary, but for a compulsory charge, you can only refuse if the service was poor and you've raised the issue with management; always check if it's clearly marked as optional (discretionary) or mandatory (compulsory) on the menu or bill before ordering or paying.
In a recent letter, Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald's USA, said $18 for a Big Mac combo was the “exception” and not the norm across all 13,700 restaurants in the country. The thing is: It doesn't really matter that virtually no one is paying anything close to $18 for a Big Mac combo.
Plus, we'll add a free sweet treat to your Greggs App wallet every year on your birthday so you can celebrate with whatever your heart (or sweet tooth) desires.
Yes, Greggs often becomes cheaper after 4 pm, primarily through their popular "After 4pm Pizza & Drink Deal," offering a slice of pizza plus a regular hot or cold drink for around £2.85, which is significantly less than the typical £3.50 price before 4 pm, making it a good time to save money on an evening meal, say Money Saving Expert and this Greggs deal.
We are delighted to have rescued over one million bags of food from going to waste through our partnership with Too Good To Go. We've already made great progress towards these goals, by reducing manufacturing waste by 31% in proportion to sales during 2021.
Eighty-six or 86 is American English slang, generally meaning to "get rid of" someone or something. In the hospitality industry, it is used to indicate that an item is no longer available, traditionally from a food or drinks establishment, or referring to a person or people who are not welcome on the premises.
700 - If you have heard this number get called out and someone comes to your service, feel flattered! A 700 bar call means that an attractive customer requires attention.
“In the '30s and '40s, there were numerical codes used in diners,” said Jesse Sheidlower, an adjunct professor at Columbia University whose specialty is slang. “Eighty-one is a glass of water, 82 is two glasses of water, 89 is a pretty girl, and 86 means you're out of something.”
Should I leave a tip if there is a service charge?
Yes, you can tip on top of a service charge, especially for excellent service, but it's not always expected; you should first check if the service charge goes directly to the staff, and if you feel the service was exceptional, adding a little extra cash (or asking for the charge to be removed and tipping the server directly) is a good way to show appreciation. If a mandatory "auto gratuity" is added for large parties, extra tipping isn't usually necessary unless service was outstanding.
Greggs is a British company, founded in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, by John Gregg in 1939, and it remains a prominent UK bakery chain listed on the London Stock Exchange. It's not owned by a single country but operates as a public limited company (PLC) with shareholders, though its roots, headquarters, and primary operations are firmly within the United Kingdom.
McDonald's. McDonald's maintains its position as the world's most profitable fast food chain, with McDonald's revenue for the twelve months ending June 30, 2025, at $26.060 billion, a 1.18% increase year-over-year .
