Edmond D.
Yelp
ON PRICE-GOUGING AND PREDATORY PRICING: I've been going to Penmar Sunset Sessions for years (since way back when it was on Wednesdays) and have told hundreds of people about it. It's been my happy spot where I can bump into my Westside homies and even host a birthday and group gathering or ten. To say I've been a Penmar booster would be an understatement; I've been a superfan.
But as Sunset Sessions has become more and more popular, with attendance going from a few hundred to literally thousands, the ownership has become more and more aggressive in the pricing, to the point of really diminishing the experience. For example, last time I was there, I ordered a can of beer listed for $10 (already way overpriced, but bear with me here; it gets better). When it came time to pay, they asked for $14.60. That's a 46% hidden markup from the listed price! Turns out the price was $11, not $10 as listed. AND they add an automatic 22% gratuity (and tax). AND when they hand you the machine to sign, they ASK FOR GRATUITY AGAIN! The gall is really something else.
Also, everything is just ridiculously overpriced -- think Four Seasons Hotel prices, not neighborhood golf course serving comfort food. Get this: they apply a surcharge $2.50 PER SLICE of cake (or cookie) if you want to bring your own for your birthday. This is Disneyland-level price-gouging, people.
Except that Penmar is not Disneyland, where people go once per lifetime and accept the exorbitant prices as part of the cost of having offspring. Penmar depends on the good graces of the neighbors for its existence, week after week, as the many lawsuits to shut them down should attest.
So dear Penmar ownership: you seem like really nice people. And I am here to tell you that price-gouging your customers is NOT very nice. You have reasonable prices during the week, which you suddenly jack up for Friday Sunset Sessions. We noticed. In fact, the prices are so high, you can afford to drop them $5 at 9pm to capture some extra sales as people trickle out for the rest of their evening, which is exactly what you do.
If it is that important for you to make a few extra bucks at the cost of the goodwill of your customers, please know that you will lose the loyalty of a lot of devoted fans. Also note that listing one price and charging another is ILLEGAL. And as of 7/1/24, with the passage of Senate Bill 478, the "Honest Pricing Law", junk fees and "drip pricing" are banned in CA. All mandatory charges must be included in the advertised price for goods and services. In other words, if you're going to charge me $14.60 for a beer, you list THAT on the board, not $10.
This is my gentle plea to Penmar: We love coming there for Sunset Sessions. It's a cornerstone of the Westside community. We appreciate all the effort you put in to bring good musical acts and keep it going. At the same time, we want you to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we, your devoted customers, see your profiteering and don't like it one bit. You can either to listen to our feedback and return to user-friendlier pricing. Or you can hear directly from the office of the Attorney General of the State of California. Your choice.