Do you legally own food you have purchased in a restaraunt and can you take it home with you?

Question

Do you legally own food you have purchased in a restaraunt and can you take it home with you?

Answer 1

You can do whatever you want with the food, however the restaurant may want their plate

Answer 2

Yea, why not?

Answer 3

YES YOU CAN TAKE IT HOME , JUST ASK FOR A TAKE AWAY BAG TO PUT IT IN.

Answer 4

i dont see why you shouldnt be able to take it w ya, its been paid for hasnt it.

Answer 5

Presumably you own the food but it might be wise to take some tupperware as I think you may end up being charged extra for the plates and bowls :-)

Answer 6

Yes you can, but you may be charged for the wrapping or packaging the food is placed into.

Answer 7

Yes, however if it is a buffett, it is NOT legal to walk out with food.

Answer 8

You paid for it so why wouldn't you be able to take it home.  If you don't eat all the food and leave it at the restraunt, they just throw it away anyway.  So, go ahead and take it home, you paid for it!

Answer 9

I am not legally qualified in any way whatsoever.Are you referring to a restaurant that does not deliver the food to the address of your choice?

Ask the restauranteur, before you purchase, that way there can be no misunderstanding, of your intentions.

Only the restauranteur can deem what is legally acceptable because, it is their contract you are entering into.If you are referring to being a seated patron, when eating in a restaurant, but change your mind and want to take it home, with you. or you cannot eat all you have ordered

As long as you have purchased all your food legally.If you have your own container, you can.As  I do not believe the restauranteur is legally liable for supplying you with a doggy bag. if you originally are seated within the premises to eat.

However, some restaurants have a menu with an 'eat as much as you can eat', at one sitting. but As the restauranteur reserves the right to decide who they serve and who not to, it would be stupid to try to take more than is regular, because you would not be served again. and the restauranteur may decide you pay for a second time if you take more than is normal. The restaurants i visit do have doggy bags, though it is not etiquette

Answer 10

yeah, but apparently not buffet food.

Answer 11

Yes and yes, just ask for a doggy bag if you have the courage.  You can then take anything that has been served to you home.  Whether or not you give it to the dog is up to you.

Food items served to you can not legaly be served again to someone else.  It therefore becomes waste and must be binned.

Answer 12

Legally you do own the food (unless it's from a buffet). You can ask for it to be wrapped to go. The restaurant is quite within it's rights to ask you to sign a disclaimer regarding food poisoning etc, in fact they would be stupid not to ask you.

Answer 13

it depends in which counrty you are, in France you cannot. Even, if you are 2 persons you cannot, in many restaurants, order just one plate for two. You have to order 2 plates and leave the rest of your food there.

Answer 14

Not always. Especially if it is food purchased for a wedding type of function. Many establishments will not allow it to go with you for liability issues.

Answer 15

yes but I doubt the restaurant is obliged to provide a container - so it could be messy

Answer 16

yes you can- just as for a container. The only place you can not is at a buffet restaurant

Answer 17

Yup. Once you have paid for it the food is your possesion. You may take it home but in most restaurants you will be asked to sign a consent form. this basically states that the establishment will not be held responsible if you eat it a month later and become ill. this is because the restaurant cannot control the hygiene of storage of your food once off the premises.

Answer 18

You paid for it.  Yes, you can take it home.  Except in the case of an all you can eat place.  No, you can't load up and take it home then because the condition of the sale is all you can EAT, not carry out.  One might argue that you'll eat it later, but that's not the general implied condition of the sale and you'd lose in court.

Answer 19

Yeah! But not at an all you can eat

Answer 20

you sure do.you paid for it so i dont see why not.

Answer 21

In the U.S., restaurants provide containers, commonly referred to as, "doggie bags".  Presumably, people prefer to "take the food home to their pet", rather than admit they simply want to take it home for personal consumption, go figure.

As stated, buffets don't apply...:-(

Answer 22

yes. but not the plate knife and fork.

Answer 23

yes you can,most places let you,a few only have concerns because of how u keep the food hygiene etc then if u eat it and get ill they are liable.

Answer 24

You own it, sort of. But the local health department's code can dictate whether or not it can be taken out of the establishment in which it was sold.

Answer 25

Yes, in America it's no problem, although in Europe we've had some weird looks asking for doggie bags.  They're getting more used to the concept, though.

Answer 26

Yes, of course.  Just ask your waiter for a take home box.  The only exception is all you can eat buffets.  



I used to bend the rules a bit on that if the customer really looked like they tried to finish all their food, not sitting there with 8 whole pieces of fried chicken on their plate and wanting a box.

Answer 27

yes,absolutely.u purchased it.it is prudent to do so-restaurant portions are generally quite large,it makes sense to eat half at the restaurant,bring the rest home,if u ate it all there=too many calories,unless its a "nouvelle cuisine"place,where portions are small.most diet books tell u to immediately put aside half ur restaurant meal to bring home,and most restaurants have boxes provided for u to do so.if a restaurant refused to let u bring ur meal home,they are wrong!!!!

Answer 28

It is usually an option unless it is a buffet. Restaurants that serve their food buffet style have the right to refuse to allow you to take home a "doggy bag". My guess is that is what you are wanting to do it in order to grab a free meal later. My suggestion is to stop trying to steal food.