The NY Post “breaks” the news today that many restaurants are ditching credit cards and accepting only cash. This has outraged a Brooklyn Heights woman:
NY Post: One aggravated customer is Christine Hanna, 26, of Brooklyn Heights. She went to Grimaldi’s pizzeria in Brooklyn with pals on Saturday and discovered the legendary pizzeria — briefly shuttered in 2008 for owing back taxes — was cash only. An ATM outside charged a $4.50 fee, which she refused to pay.
“This is ridiculous,” Hanna fumed. “The cash-only thing is just really annoying sometimes.”
First it’s no charging pizzas and pretty soon will have to pay in gold bullion. America, we hardly knew ya….
$4.50 ATM fee is absurd. Plus the $1-$2 your bank charges you…
In related news, Brooklyn Heights resident complains “The BQE is loud and smelly”, and another local man whines “There isn’t any place for {people my age | younger people | older people | people with money | people without money | generic petulant identity} to {eat, swim, drink, hook up, party, smoke, fish, walk, sing, smoke, fraternize, blog, drink tea}.
I’m shocked, shocked that a business with a 10+ year old sign saying “CASH ONLY, NO SLICES” is in fact, a cash-only business, and doesn’t offer slices.
Better get the local politicians on the case.
Yah I’m with epc on this.. this isn’t exactly newsworthy. I wonder if she waited an hour on line before seeing the cash-only sign on the door..
What year we in again??..fuggedaboutit!!!!
Whats worse, cash only or running the risk of a Busy Chef ordeal?.. I carry cash.
What is it about Grimaldi’s. The pizza is not that hot.
Try DaCiro on Lex. between 33 and 34th St. Its so much better and a better atmosphere.
Really, nothing great about Grimaldi’s since the original owners sold to these fake 2nd owners. It’s not even the orig. pizza sause.
How long has this chick lived here??? Isn’t this like common knowledge at this point? On the door it says cash only and no slices. I am embarassed for her.
Yeah – wow she was really “fuming” – phew – no telling what happens when she turns the dial up – she and “pals” sound like real hot heads – pals is a four letter word after all.
People get paid in pizza now so….
Grown ups carry cash.
@jay
That sounds like a mugger-approved comment. Personally, I try not to take more than 20 bucks with me when I walk around the nabe, especially after dark. I wouldn’t feel too good if I lost a benjamin to some lowlife.
Many people don’t realize the credit card shylocks charge 3% to the merchants…. In retail where the ream-up is so high the charge is easily absorbed (Eg. you pay $85 for a pair of sneakers that cost $2 to produce, and they don’t even include a pack of Vaseline). In the restaurant biz where the margins are much tighter that 3% can cut uncomfortably into the bottom line… hence many restaurants want cash only…
However, Criminaldi’s does seem to be running a racket by charging $4.50 at their ATM….
Okay, that was actually me, the “fuming” customer, and I wasn’t really fuming, they asked me how i felt, and i thought it was a tad expensive for a surcharge. And adults, sometimes don’t have cash on them sometimes, believe it or not.
Christine, thanks for clearing that up, leave it to the Post to blow the truth out of proportion…. no surprise there… LOL… However, I’m with Jay on the cash thing, carry cash at least $100- $200 at all times….
Teddy, only $20? your are not a true Brooklynite….
I would note that by accepting only cash, stores can hide some of their income from the sales tax people, credit/debit card transactions are easy to track and tax collected accordingly.
Ellen:
Credit/debit cards transactions are easy to track, & yes, taxes can be collected accordingly.
Is it always in our best interests that governments & corporations can increasingly track & monitor everyone in these ways? I think not.
Carry $100-$200 at all times? That’s a joke, right?
@ tb, No, not a joke.
How about a moratorium on the word legendary unless used to describe something from out of a remote, mythological past? If there is one thing a local pizza joint ain’t, it’s legendary.
Regarding ATM’s in the neighborhood, the Dime Savings Bank on Montague only charges $1. So if you are going to have to pay a fee, it’s your duty to capitalism to go to the Dime.
Yes, it’s a long way from Grimaldi’s.
Arch… that’s insane.
@ Fritz: I think our recent economic & political problems are more than just capitalism at work.
@ tb: Why is it “insane” to be prepared with cash in your wallet? $100-$200 is not a hell of a lot of money these days.
@ Teddy, nothing more than $20? I guess you probably dread getting out of bed.
I agree that $100 doesn’t go far these days, especially when going to dinner (& whatever after) as a group. A cab home from midtown runs $25-30. But for “walking around money” I think Arch is being excessive. Who spends that much on impulse?
$100? Who has that much money nowadays?
If someone wants my money, they will have to forcibly remove it from me. I’d rather be robbed by a thug on the street than an ATM machine, a credit card company, a bank scam, or some guy sending emails from Nigeria. A mugger at least has some sort of game.
Obama, Thanks.
tb, how is that insane? I like to have some cash on me at all times, a couple of hundred bucks only lasts a few days at best, anyway… I’m not one of those annoying jerks holding up the line paying for a bottle of water with a credit card…
Back in the day when I got paid mostly in cash, I would usually have a couple of grand on me… never had any problems.
Why should we be surprised that some restaurants go cash-only? If they /can/ turn a profit without paying the Visa/MC duopoly their pound of flesh – and the line in front of Grimaldi’s indicates that at least this place can – why shouldn’t they?
The $4.50 fee on the ATM, on the other hand, is downright criminal. Pity tighter restrictions on swipe and ATM fees didn’t make it into the FinReg law…
Well it’s worth paying cash. And if you have a debt or credit card then you can just take cash out of the ATM. No big deal to fuss over. And it does say cash only, what an idiot.
It’s called a tourist tax. Any local who doesn’t bring cash to Grimaldis can pay the tourist tax. That’s why it’s called a tourist trap, folks.
PS if you think that’s bad, Peter Lugers is also cash only, and you need to carry a few Benjamins on you if you are planning on not eating by yourself!
my2 — Peter Luger takes checks, and they also have a very handsome credit card. The only cash I can recall was that which my father always gave to the doorman.
And I agree with Sandi — everything about patsy’s changed when Patsy and Carol gave it up.
I believe it was the souvenir shop next door and not Grimaldi’s that had the ATM machine installed.
Also, dealing only in cash, with the hugely long lines of people waiting to get in speeds up the turnover. Cash is cash.
ARCH-
This is why you don’t carry that much cash around. (From this weeks crime blotter)
“The Montague Street Key Food store was the scene of a classic pick pocket ruse last Wednesday. According to the papers, a skell bumped a female patron while his partner in crime (literally) swiped her wallet containing $400 in cash and credit cards from her shopping cart”
tb, thanks for the concern, However, I carry my wallet in my front pocket most pickpockets won’t attempt to make a grab form there…
The only mugging attempt I ever faced as an adult was in Amsterdam about 20 years ago. Two teenage punks tried to rob me. One pulled a knife, I kicked it out of his hand. I punched the other guy in the face so hard I broke his jaw… That’s the Brooklyn way… the cops eventually arrested them, to boot…
Grimaldi’s is not alone in this area in only accepting cash. Noodle Pudding and Rice are two that come to mind. And as for the ATMs, there are now outdoor machines at Pete’s, Grimaldi’s, and One Front, as well as the indoor one with the blinking neon sign at the souvenir store (why is this not illegal in an historic district?). I would bet that they all charge exorbitant fees. Tourists are a captive audience, who don’t know that there are other (cheaper) options for cash in DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights.
Arch- remind me never to meet you in a back alley!
Good for Grimaldi’s!!! I’m tired of all this card paying stuff!!! Pay cash, cash is king!! The ONLY reason is yes for security reasons but in this particualr case whats wrong with carrying $20 if you’re going there! And it’s a well known thing they only take cash like Luger’s! This Christine chick is one of those annoying people i bet who pays by card at 7-11 or Starbucks for a coffee, holding up the line! I get the excuse if they’re paying by credit card ‘it’s for the points!’ great! See how we’ve got into this financial mess with credit card delinquencies!! Cash Cash cash!