“Queeb tax”: Why French-speaking Canadians pay more in Vermont

“Queeb tax”: Why French-speaking Canadians pay more in Vermont

[link to www.theglobeandmail.com]

According to ABC News, some restaurants in Burlington, Vt., are tacking on at least 18 per cent to the food bills of diners who speak a foreign language – and by foreign language, they mean French. As the broadcaster points out, the Vermont town is less than 160 kilometres from Montreal and attracts plenty of Canadian visitors each summer. And it appears we Canadians are considered lousy tippers.

Restaurant owner Sandy Kong told ABC News she usually only adds an automatic 18-per-cent gratuity charge to groups of five or more or people who are not good tippers.

“But some Canadians come in, they spend like $100 or $150 and they leave the wait staff maybe a $1 tip,” she said. “It happens pretty often. I realize the Canadians think it’s discrimination, but on all the receipts it’s printed out on bottom – ‘we suggest an 18 or 20 per cent tip.’”