We are locals in Hendersonville, NC, where Verri's Italian Ristorante is located. Aside from one inferior meal (veal piccata, which was tough and dry, inferior qualities also cited in another customer's Google review), we enjoy Verri's quite a lot, just as we enjoyed its predecessor at the same location (an Italian restaurant which was called Mona Lisa).

We stopped in at Verri's on Valentine's night to celebrate with a beverage and a bite to eat. All good. The lasagna did not disappoint.

But what did disappoint was that our bill reflected several fees that were neither food nor beverage: the fees were just house fees. The first fee was a "split fee," charging us $5 simply because we decided to split a $24 entree. Sometimes, diners split dishes (entrees, salads, desserts, etc.) so as not to overindulge. We are in that group of diners. I think a restaurant that penalizes diners for doing this engages in a predatory practice that erodes customer trust. It's alienating to loyal and new customers alike.

Regardless of whether a guest wants to eat smaller portions or dine more frugally, this split fee restaurant practice is simply offensive. Let's consider a few reasons why this might offend customers. Does Verri's really need $5 extra in order to serve customers one dish of lasagna, along with two sets of flatware and a couple of side plates? Our lasagna was NOT split by kitchen staff onto two plates; it was simply passed to us in the single oval baking dish in which it was cooked. Two stacked plates were set down for us as an option, which we did not utilize at all. Honestly, does this warrant a $5 surcharge? If so, for what, exactly? Moreover, if customers split a salad and a tiramisu, would they faced mounting split fees for those, too? I expect they would.

The second hidden fee was a surcharge of 2.9% for using our credit card (listed as 2.5% on Verri's printed menu), which most every diner does nowadays, and has been doing for years. Let's see, if 50 transactions occurred at Verri's on Valentine's night (a conservative estimate), the 2.9% surcharge on 50 transactions adds up to quite a nice sum for the restaurant. As a credit cardholder, my fees include up to 19% on balances due and in some cases, an annual card fee of $60 and up. Why do I have to pay my user fees, and now, Verri's as well? Why can't the restaurant cover its own individual transaction fees? Why am I paying the convenience fee assessed to the business by the card company? Adopting a surcharge practice (or any other practice, for that matter) "because other businesses do" is a poor excuse and has no bearing on Verri's specifically as a business. If you want to treat your customers like other businesses do, without forethought or reason, then you will.

At Verri's, it's not sufficient for us to spend $32 on wine and $24 on an entree. Our bill, before tax and tip, was $28 per person. The restaurant added non-food, non-beverage fees for its own benefit. Customers drive to Verri's (sometimes having made a reservation), park, spend time there, and, of course, tip on top of the bill's total, then drive home. We select Verri's and come to Verri's with our wallet open. But for Verri's, all of that from the customer is not enough.

This practice, of surcharging, fine-printing, and split-feeing is petty. No other word for it.