This TikToker put “girl dinner” and “boy dinner” side by side, then claimed the menu price gap was “pink tax”

A TikTok discussing price differences between food targeted at women and that targeted at men has seemingly gone viral. According to Brobible, a woman talked about “girl dinner,” a trend that started in 2023 and still continues, and how its price differs from “boy dinner.” It appears the trend has gone too far, as she claimed that “girl dinner” had a higher price tag than “boy dinner.” She labeled the additional amount for women’s food as “pink tax.”

The TikTok user Simone Verghe (@mynamesnotsimone) posted an image of a restaurant’s menu card. It seems like a simple menu card with a white background and black font, showing the prices and the food items a person will get if they order a girl dinner or a boy dinner. There’s no voiceover on the video or a caption, but just an overlay that says “Pink tax,” and a background song.

Per the menu card, the “Girl Dinner” is priced at $25, and reads: “Choice of Martini or Champagne. Caviar. Caesar Salad & Spicy Vodka Pasta.” For the “Boy Dinner,” priced at $20, the same menu reads: “Tall Boy & Choice of Shot Charred Pepperoni With Dippers & Jumbo Glizzy.” There’s indeed a $5 difference here, but it looks like some of her audience took a different view of her “pink tax” label.

Her viewers stepped into the comment section with a much different opinion

Simone doesn’t sound like a customer displeased with the price, as she hasn’t said anything beyond labeling the price difference as “pink tax” on TikTok. Speaking of that, per the World Economic Forum, the term “pink tax” refers to women’s products or services priced slightly higher than men’s. Taking the example that Brobible has given in this regard, female-targeted razors that function almost the same as men’s usually cost more, making it a common example of “pink tax.”

It looks like the term “pink tax” does exist, but Verghe’s viewers had a different opinion on her TikTok. Judging by her comment section, it appears that many claimed that the menu card isn’t showing “pink tax.” One of them wrote, “It isn’t pink tax, they are different meals. Pink tax is when you get charged more for the same thing just cause it has a different color or something similar. These are completely different meals. One simply uses more expensive food.”

Similarly, another person argued, “The food is different tax brackets, it’s not about the pink tax on this one.” Some seemed to be on her side, saying, “$25 for Caesar salad is criminal.” This was the feedback that the TikToker got on her “pink tax” claim.

Opinion: It’s been a while since this trend started, and I think Verghe was being astonished here rather than displeased. Compared to “Boy Dinner,” priced at $20, what this restaurant is offering for $25 in “Girl Dinner” seems fair, in my opinion. Her TikTok appears to be just another restaurant issue going viral.