Would you like a surcharge with your public holiday?
The Terrace Bar owner John Macdonald said he would love to apply a surcharge at the Dunedin bar, but did not to avoid arguments.
''It is easier than fighting with members of the public who refuse to pay it, or become very, very abusive ... People treat us like criminals if we put a surcharge on, but what they don't understand is we have to pay two and a-half times the wages to the staff working, but they don't accept that.''
Bar patron James Taylor, of Dunedin, said he was unaware the bar had no surcharge, as a pint in the Octagon was expensive anyway.
''It is town prices - it's dearer to drink in town than a local.''
Patron Chris Johnston, of Dunedin, said he would have happily paid a surcharge.
''It wouldn't have worried me too much.''
Craft Bar duty manager Rebecca Rapson said the bar did not apply a surcharge, or promote it yesterday, because the bar was busy anyway.
''Being in the Octagon, we are in a prime location.''
The 15% surcharge was not stopping customers filling Stuart St Mac's Brew Bar with customers waiting an hour for food.
Anne Bek, of Copenhagen, was visiting Dunedin yesterday and chose not to patronise any business with a surcharge. A surcharge was never applied in Denmark, she said.
''We don't tip unless we want to and we don't raise the price because it is a public holiday.''
Of the six restaurants in Wanaka visited yesterday morning, two applied a 15% surcharge and four did not.
The two with a surcharge were in prime positions in the busiest part of town and were, despite the surcharge, quite full by 11.30am. Of the four with no surcharge, one was quite empty but the other three were busy.
The Whistling Frog Cafe in the Catlins did not apply a surcharge. Owner Paul Bridson said the cafe had been ''extremely busy'' over the holidays.
''It's just been wall-to-wall people down here,'' he said.
Catlins Cafe owner Aileen Clarke said the Owaka cafe did not add a surcharge and on New Year's Day it recorded its ''biggest day ever''.
In Balclutha, The Gate Cafe was the only eatery applying a surcharge, but the extra 12% did not appear to deter customers.
In Oamaru, many restaurants and cafes were closed on New Year's Day and most reopened yesterday without a surcharge.
Tees St cafe opened on New Year's Day and applied a 15% surcharge.
Owner Dan Bregmen said the day was ''huge'' and customers were a mix of locals and tourists.
''It was definitely worth it [opening]. The comment was `nothing [else] is open'.''
Cucina 1871 was open for dinner on New Year's Day, also with a 15% surcharge.
The Star and Garter Restaurant owner Lisa Pope said the restaurant was open during Christmas and New Year and had been consistently busy, ''It's been awesome - really nice clientele, and a lot of locals.''
Under her ownership for the past 11 years, the restaurant had not applied a surcharge on statutory holidays.
Promote Alexandra events manager Martin McPherson said he was disappointed with the lack of cafes open on a public holiday.
People had become used to surcharges and accepted them but yesterday the only cafe open on the main streets of the town was the Tin Goose, he said.
Craterscapes, on a side street, was open and had signs out, and the Shaky Bridge Cafe might have also been open, but anyone driving through town would probably not have stopped at either due to their location off the ''golden mile''.
''It's disappointing, as someone who is charged with promoting Alexandra as a destination for visitors. I have seen so many people wandering around aimlessly looking for somewhere to eat and drink.''
While he was aware people running cafes worked ''365 days a year'', for a town that prided itself as a service provider, it was not good enough.
''Those places which are open are being smashed and can't provide the usual level of service. It's a double-edged sword because those open are being smashed so people are walking away feeling they can't get served in Alexandra.''
What do you think of public holiday surcharges?
''It does not really bother me. If you are hungry, you are hungry.''
- Helene Krawiec, of Dunedin.
''I think it's justifiable if it goes to the people who have to work on a public holiday.''
- Philip Bewley, of Gore
''Load of [rubbish]. It should be billed into their fixed costs throughout the year. There are plenty of other people working in private enterprise that would love to have the ability to put 15% on and never have the opportunity.
- John Cochrane, of Clinton
''They're there to provide a service, and this is their opportunity to provide that service and they shouldn't be charging for it.''
- Jeff McKenzie, of Heriot.
''It is part and parcel of going out on a public holiday.''
- Nick White, of Wellington.
''I think it is fair because they are working their butts off on a public holiday, when they could be away.''
- Liz White, of Wellington.
''In Germany, the employer pays the surcharge and I think it is a nice idea to put it on the customer because they get the service.''
- Emeike Guenther, of Germany.
''They're not really necessary.''
- Lukas Ley, of Germany
''I guess it's a necessary evil. We have the same in Australia - just accept it.''
- Hans Westemann, of Alice Springs.
''For businesses, it's fair enough. It costs them more to operate over the holidays.''
- Jessamy George, of Port Chalmers.
''I suppose they [businesses] shouldn't really need them.''
- Troy Simonsen, Port Chalmers
''I don't really think about them.''
- Rona Duncan, Balclutha.
