5 ms·

I find it surprising that there are cafés without restrooms. In many countries if you have at least one table you are required to have a restroom to be given a

I find it surprising that there are cafés without restrooms. In many countries if you have at least one table you are required to have a restroom to be given a license to operate your business.

rcstank 3y ago
Why is it a requirement?
- Scoundreller 3y ago
  Having a place to wash your hands is one stated idea of why they're usually required in Canada. I'm sure governments like the idea of not having to build-out public bathroom infrastructure (which gets a lot harder in places that freeze).
  - kalleboo 3y ago
    > Having a place to wash your hands Here (Japan) places that need hand-washing but don't have a toilet will just have a small sink. E.g. a fast food place in a mall where they don't have their own toilets: https://saga-style.jp/images/2573/files/251552529081.JPG https://saga-style.jp/images/2573/files/251552529081.JPG Convenience store: https://blog-imgs-65.fc2.com/d/a/i/daiwariki/20140731_2.jpg https://blog-imgs-65.fc2.com/d/a/i/daiwariki/20140731_2.jpg https://uttan.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/IMG_0332.jpg https://uttan.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/IMG_0332.jpg https://chie-pctr.c.yimg.jp/dk/iwiz-chie/que-1087926330?w=200&h=200&up=0 https://chie-pctr.c.yimg.jp/dk/iwiz-chie/que-1087926330?w=20...
  - ProllyInfamous 3y ago
    >Having a place to wash your hands My favorite regional 'fast food joint' is "Cookout" (NC/Tenn). Not only is the Big Double Tray a fantastic & delicious value... they have a hand-washing sink immediately next to the ordering line (so you can wash your hands while waiting). More places need such accessible facilities.
    - Scoundreller 3y ago
      oh yeah, there's a local BBQ place that has a sink before the bathroom, because they don't want you touching anything with your saucy hands.
      - ProllyInfamous 3y ago
        Rudy's?
- unethical_ban 3y ago
  One could call it an unfunded mandate for public availability of restrooms. Not that I find that to be a bad thing. I noticed in Denver a number of places that had gone out of their way to remove seating specifically to avoid having to offer restrooms to the booming homeless population in the urban center there.
- ShadowBanThis01 3y ago
  Because at some point our public servants had a modicum of integrity in their stated mission: the public good.
- mvdtnz 3y ago
  Pissing is a basic human need.
Scoundreller 3y ago
where I am, they're only required if you have over a certain number of seats. The mostly pickup/delivery pizza place near me has 2 tables in a comically large empty foyer because I think that was their workaround.
stemlord 3y ago
American cities are poorly legislated and suffer from a tragedy of the commons when it comes to basic public needs like restrooms. We have deep seated issues that keep us from being able to have nice things like that.
- xyzelement 3y ago
  I can't recall the last time I've been to a cafe in the US without a bathroom. Perhaps we don't legislate this stuff because we don't have the problem?
- joenot443 3y ago
  A lot of European countries I've been to suffer an even worse result - restaurants are legally allowed to _charge_ already paying customers to use a restroom. Coming from Canada, I can never imagine treating your patrons like that.
  - Agingcoder 3y ago
    Which countries ? I’ve never been to a place where as an already paying customer I had to pay for the restroom. You often do see signs ‘customers only’ on the restroom though.
    - joenot443 3y ago
      If I recall, it was fast food type joints in Netherlands and Germany. What blew my mind was that these places would employ someone to actually stand guard at the washrooms and collect payment. Wild behavior, in my opinion.
  - Scarblac 3y ago
    What country? I've never experienced this in any European country I've been to. Edit: no, once. The McDonald's in the Netherlands on the A16 highway, right after the Belgian border has paid toilets, even for customers. It's a disgrace.
    - 3y ago

I find it surprising that there are cafés without restrooms. In many countries if you have at least one table you are required to have a restroom to be given a license to operate your business.

rcstank 3y ago

Why is it a requirement?

Scoundreller 3y ago
Having a place to wash your hands is one stated idea of why they're usually required in Canada. I'm sure governments like the idea of not having to build-out public bathroom infrastructure (which gets a lot harder in places that freeze).
- kalleboo 3y ago
  > Having a place to wash your hands Here (Japan) places that need hand-washing but don't have a toilet will just have a small sink. E.g. a fast food place in a mall where they don't have their own toilets: https://saga-style.jp/images/2573/files/251552529081.JPG https://saga-style.jp/images/2573/files/251552529081.JPG Convenience store: https://blog-imgs-65.fc2.com/d/a/i/daiwariki/20140731_2.jpg https://blog-imgs-65.fc2.com/d/a/i/daiwariki/20140731_2.jpg https://uttan.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/IMG_0332.jpg https://uttan.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/IMG_0332.jpg https://chie-pctr.c.yimg.jp/dk/iwiz-chie/que-1087926330?w=200&h=200&up=0 https://chie-pctr.c.yimg.jp/dk/iwiz-chie/que-1087926330?w=20...
- ProllyInfamous 3y ago
  >Having a place to wash your hands My favorite regional 'fast food joint' is "Cookout" (NC/Tenn). Not only is the Big Double Tray a fantastic & delicious value... they have a hand-washing sink immediately next to the ordering line (so you can wash your hands while waiting). More places need such accessible facilities.
  - Scoundreller 3y ago
    oh yeah, there's a local BBQ place that has a sink before the bathroom, because they don't want you touching anything with your saucy hands.
    - ProllyInfamous 3y ago
      Rudy's?
unethical_ban 3y ago
One could call it an unfunded mandate for public availability of restrooms. Not that I find that to be a bad thing. I noticed in Denver a number of places that had gone out of their way to remove seating specifically to avoid having to offer restrooms to the booming homeless population in the urban center there.
ShadowBanThis01 3y ago
Because at some point our public servants had a modicum of integrity in their stated mission: the public good.
mvdtnz 3y ago
Pissing is a basic human need.

Scoundreller 3y ago

where I am, they're only required if you have over a certain number of seats. The mostly pickup/delivery pizza place near me has 2 tables in a comically large empty foyer because I think that was their workaround.

stemlord 3y ago

American cities are poorly legislated and suffer from a tragedy of the commons when it comes to basic public needs like restrooms. We have deep seated issues that keep us from being able to have nice things like that.

xyzelement 3y ago
I can't recall the last time I've been to a cafe in the US without a bathroom. Perhaps we don't legislate this stuff because we don't have the problem?
joenot443 3y ago
A lot of European countries I've been to suffer an even worse result - restaurants are legally allowed to _charge_ already paying customers to use a restroom. Coming from Canada, I can never imagine treating your patrons like that.
- Agingcoder 3y ago
  Which countries ? I’ve never been to a place where as an already paying customer I had to pay for the restroom. You often do see signs ‘customers only’ on the restroom though.
  - joenot443 3y ago
    If I recall, it was fast food type joints in Netherlands and Germany. What blew my mind was that these places would employ someone to actually stand guard at the washrooms and collect payment. Wild behavior, in my opinion.
- Scarblac 3y ago
  What country? I've never experienced this in any European country I've been to. Edit: no, once. The McDonald's in the Netherlands on the A16 highway, right after the Belgian border has paid toilets, even for customers. It's a disgrace.
  - 3y ago