The great tap water debate

Asking for tap water in restaurants may be losing its stigma.  Safe in the knowledge that they are saving money AND being eco-friendly, diners are feeling more confident about choosing tap water over expensive bottled mineral water when they are dining out.

Does this mean that restaurants up and down the country are going to struggle now that they can't rely on heavily marked up water to swell their profits?  I don't think so. In fact, I see it as a great opportunity for UK restaurateurs.  Their colleagues in the USA have been happily serving iced tap water to their customers for years.  Diners in the States expect a glass of iced tap water as soon as they sit down. It is a free aperatif.  Indeed in some restaurants there are specific water staff whose job it is to just top up diners water.

Why do I think restaurants will be better off?  Because matching a glass of iced water with a glass of wine throughout the evening will leave you in fine fettle to drink more wine throughout the evening or to enjoy a post dessert whisky or brandy.  Restaurants have an opportunity to offset that lost £4 water sale with a couple of large 'digestifs' at £6 a pop.  Net result - £8 profit.
So iced tap water should become the norm in all UK restaurants, not just for the benefit of the customers, but also because it may well benefit the restaurants.