Australian restaurant introduces flip-flop surcharge

Darwin has long been known as Australia’s most relaxed capital city when it comes to dress codes, where soaring temperatures mean shorts, singlets and flip-flops are de rigeur among locals. Even some of the Northern Territory’s politicians are reluctant to wear a suit and tie in parliament.

But a restaurant in Darwin is fighting back against the Top End’s unofficial dress code, charging a $10 (£6) “thongage” surcharge to patrons who wear flip-flops while they dine.



John Spellman, the manager of the Tramontana restaurant said he decided to charge people who wear thongs (the Australian name for the flip-flop, not the type of underwear) after a group of people from a local shoe shop came in for dinner wearing the offending footwear last week.

“I just had enough, I’ve spent 40 years asking people to wear bloody shoes,” Mr Spellman, who even added a ‘thongage’ button to the restaurant’s cash register. “I’m sick of explaining to people how to dress so I figured if I just put a ‘thongage’ on the bill there’d be no complaints.”