Restaurant 3% surcharges for inflation, and health care, is a BIG Pet Peeve for Me

[Sugarcubesea]

The link you posted goes to the description you copied, but the next paragraph states:



Seems they’re not honoring their own stated intention if it’s not on the printed menus, at entry, cashier station, etc.

FWIW, I think it’s lazy and duplicitous of restaurants to not include all fees, other than tip, on the menu. Sadly, I’ve seen this happen many places. The latest near me are a few restaurants that have a 4% tip for kitchen staff on the bill, which is not disclosed in advance anywhere.

The only commonality amongst the restaurants that have these extra charges seems to be that they are mostly independent smaller restaurants, and clear that their owner has no idea how to manage a business.


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@Ken555 , they listed it on the itemized receipt to us after we ate, but nowhere in the restaurant was this posted when my husband asked why it was not posted, he was told that it's prominently displayed on their website. So if you order online and do a carry out, you will be notified but no where in any of the restaurants that this guy owns in TC was this new 3% posted on the menu or in the restaurant itself.

 

[Sugarcubesea]

They should just increase prices by 3%. It is ridiculous to show a 3% surcharge and explain it that way. The increase is not temporary so why not just raise the price?

@TravelTime, the manager we spoke to said the reason the owner did not want to add the cost to the menu is that next year they might need to go to 5% instead of 3% and they can't afford to keep changing their menu. Either way this is a piss poor way to do business, we will not be going back as there are so many other restaurants not pulling this BS that we can go to...

 

[DRH90277]

@TravelTime, the manager we spoke to said the reason the owner did not want to add the cost to the menu is that next year they might need to go to 5% instead of 3% and they can't afford to keep changing their menu. Either way this is a piss poor way to do business, we will not be going back as there are so many other restaurants not pulling this BS that we can go to...

I agree - An easy one - just don't go to that restaurant. There are others and one restaurant doesn't matter. It is time to stand up to these crappy business practices - don't pay unless on the menu or posted prominently.

 

[DaveNV]

@DaveNV , my hubby actually asked the manger this question and she said even if we paid in cash the surchage would be added as its to help the owner pay for healthcare and rising wages for his employees.

Then they should raise prices 3% and embed the cost into everything they sell. Make it less of a pain-point for customers. Adding 30 cents onto a $10 item isn't too much of a stretch, and people wouldn't be so angered by it.

Some things just don't make a lot of sense. The local Dairy Queen drive-thru has had a sign on the drive-thru ordering speaker for THREE YEARS apologizing for the slow service, and saying there is a labor shortage because of the Covid shutdown. If you go inside to order, there are never more than two people working there. When I've asked if the Manager was available to speak to, I've been told, "She doesn't work here. She never works here."

WTH? Every other fast food place in this town has more staff than they can use. Why does this particular place blame Covid for their lack of staff? Just like your example above, I think Management has a lot to do with things.

Dave

 

[Brett]

I agree with other posters that said the restaurant should just raise prices and not show a separate 3% charge.
We give ridiculously big tips at local restaurants

 

[WinniWoman]

We are up at our Timeshare in Traverse City, MI this week. I noticed that I kept getting charged this week an extra 3% surcharge on my bills, and when I asked the waitress, she said it prominently displayed on their website and its to help the owner pay for healthcare for his employees and to minimize the cost of inflation. I told her I normally do not go to the website of a restaurant I frequent and why is this not posted in the restaurant, and she tells me its because people will get mad...

A 3% surcharge is being added to all checks to help offset fast-rising expenses, including credit card fees and rewards passed on to the restaurant, rising employee wages & benefits, fuel charges passed on to the business and escalating cost of food and other goods. We hope these increases are temporary. This fee is not a service charge or gratuity.

I just feel like I'm being ask to tipp and surcharged for everthing these days, why should I pay something the owner of the establishment should be paying...

So I go to the website and finally find it.... (I listed the website below)

The table next to me heard this conversation and they started chatting with me about this as they also did not know this was happening and pretty soon the whole restaurant was abuzz with this 3% surcharge.

I'm really mad, because I would have avoided going to this restaurant if I had known this tactic was being used.. Has anyone else seen this happening at the places they go to?

Well this my gripe for the the day

MENU | Apache Trout Grill

www.apachetroutgrill.com

In Rapid City, South Dakota when we got our bill - well it was actually two bills- one with the charges if we use a credit card and the other for charges if we paid cash! We were with another couple, who were from Oregon, and neither of us ever heard of such a thing. We were annoyed because we were not aware of this from the get go.

Then again I guess many restaurants just build it into their pricing and we just don’t see it.

Anyway- we used our credit card because the difference was small and it was more convenient for us.

 

[Sugarcubesea]

I agree - An easy one - just don't go to that restaurant. There are others and one restaurant doesn't matter. It is time to stand up to these crappy business practices - don't pay unless on the menu or posted prominently.

There are plenty of awesome restaurants in that area that do not pull this BS and since I usually work remotely when I'm up there, we eat in a ton as well...We for sure will not be going back

 

[WinniWoman]

Really should be built in. I mean you don’t go to Walmart and see a tag that says this shirt is $ 10.00 plus we have to add on 3% to pay for our employees sick time.

 

[WinniWoman]

Wine markups in most restaurants have also gotten excessive. This caused us to eat more carryout meals. There is an added bonus in Ohio that sales tax is not added to carryout orders, saving us an additional 8%.

I refuse to order wine in restaurants anymore since now they give you like a 1/4 cup in a glass for $9.00 or whatever. Forget it. I drink water or maybe a good cocktail if I know the place makes decent ones.

BTW- there really are severe staff shortages in hospitality in general. It’s pretty bad.

 

[WinniWoman]

Or they’ll all jump on the extra fee bandwagon, leaving customers with little other choice.

We were in Breckenridge a couple of weeks ago and will be in Vail reasonably soon. While I didn’t notice any surcharges on our bills, for the first time in approx 10 years, we started preparing meals at the timeshare. When it begins to cost $50 for breakfast, including tip. iIt’s beginning to cost too much. Dinner out was typically $70 for just burgers and fries. For $60 I can cook a couple of filets with a baked potato, including all the spices and extras needed to prepare the meal. Shopping at the grocery store in Breck is also a little cost prohibitive. Fortunately I can pack a cooler and bring my own. Next year that’s what we’ll do. The cost of bottled water was 100% higher in Breck than at home. Sure it costs more to supply the grocery store in Breck, but 100% more? Not to mention gasoline was 33% higher than back home. I told my wife Breck is becoming more and more like Aspen where only the wealthy, pretty people can play.

Sure we’ll still eat out, but I think I’ll start preparing breakfast at home and if we want burgers and fries, I’ll grill the burgers myself or make a couple of steaks.

It’s u fortunate that inflation is crowding us out of the market but, when income increases lag far behind inflation, that’s what happens.

We’ve always prepared most meals at our timeshares - even ones we exchanged into across the country. Always breakfast in. Usually lunch also or we take it with us out exploring. Once in a while lunch out. Or we skip it and have a snack and a piece of fruit. Dinners in- mostly convenience stuff and a couple of dinners out at the most. Maybe take out or even pizza. If we do eat lunch out we might just skip dinner altogether- and maybe just a snack on the evening.

Definitely bring our own alcohol to the timeshares as well.

Food costs overall are out of control. I just went food shopping with my husband today and be I can’t believe how much we paid for practically nothing and we still need to hit BJs this week cause the freezer is almost empty!

 

[dougp26364]

Really should be built in. I mean you don’t go to Walmart and see a tag that says this shirt is $ 10.00 plus we have to add on 3% to pay for our employees sick time.

Not yet. Give them a little and they’ll realize it’s an easy way to get the customer to pay for their employee benefits, just like fast food restaurants have started requesting tips so customers are supporting the wages they should be paying anyway

 

[4TimeAway]

I refuse to order wine in restaurants anymore since now they give you like a 1/4 cup in a glass for $9.00 or whatever. Forget it. I drink water or maybe a good cocktail if I know the place makes decent ones.

BTW- there really are severe staff shortages in hospitality in general. It’s pretty bad.

We had a great time in Australia the beer was 2% and something like 6 ounces. The wine was 8 portions to a bottle.

For our nieces at amusement parks, we just try to buy a season pass deal and go a couple of times. Not perfect, but certainly something to do and if you don't get on every ride, no worries.

 

[TravelTime]

@TravelTime, the manager we spoke to said the reason the owner did not want to add the cost to the menu is that next year they might need to go to 5% instead of 3% and they can't afford to keep changing their menu. Either way this is a piss poor way to do business, we will not be going back as there are so many other restaurants not pulling this BS that we can go to...

I would stop going to that restaurant. Their business management is horrible.

 

[dioxide45]

@TravelTime, the manager we spoke to said the reason the owner did not want to add the cost to the menu is that next year they might need to go to 5% instead of 3% and they can't afford to keep changing their menu. Either way this is a piss poor way to do business, we will not be going back as there are so many other restaurants not pulling this BS that we can go to...

There can be significant costs in producing new menus and for a small business with thin margins like the restaurant industry, it isn't easy absorbing these costs.

 

[ScoopKona]

BTW- there really are severe staff shortages in hospitality in general. It’s pretty bad.

It's decades of people telling staff, "If you don't like working long hours for low pay, find another job."

Well, they found better jobs. And now restaurants don't have enough people to stay open all shifts and every day. I'd love to say that this is causing policy changes industry-wide. Hell, no. Restaurant owners are stuck in the 20th century (19th is more fair). They can't wrap their head around the concept of "if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys." So they stick with $2.13/hour. (Half the states still use this -- the other half finally increased hourly wages for tipped employees. But still not a living wage.)

Frankly, I hope more than half of the restaurants in the US go under. They don't deserve to stay in business. And then maybe -- maybe -- younger, more savvy chefs will take over these shuttered businesses and open restaurants which don't rely on indentured servitude. Even better, they can stop pouring frozen industrial garbage directly from a bag into a deep fryer and charging fine-dining prices.

 

[rickandcindy23]

The "3% Extra" is becoming commonplace. This is the explanation from one restaurant in Winter Park, CO:


It does say "voluntary", but how many customers will ask it be removed from the bill?

I worked for a mult-national company. Foreign visitors would comment on how the America custom of tipping was so bizarre to them. I agreed. It is so strange that tipping for good service morphed into something expected as part of a servers compensation, and it has always been unfair to all the other employees who are not servers and who do not receive tip income.

Between the outright restaurant inflated cost of my favorite bacon-wrapped beef filet w/crab-topped béarnaise, the inflated tax rates added-on for state, county, city taxes, and "tip inflation" of 20-22% (on top of the inflated meal cost) from what used to be 15% ... I vote with my feet, take the family to the City Market and buy everyone exactly what they want (just like ordering in a restaurant) and cook it for them on what used to be "dinner out" night(s). It is actally a lot of fun, plus I like to cook (and am good at it -- my béarnaise sauce is better than the restaurant's, so it works out for us. Good thing we stay in a timeshare with a well-furnished, full kitchen. (Saves more than $50 plus associated taxes and tip just on the bottle of very nice wine.)

What timeshare do you stay in at Winter Park?

 

[CO skier]

What timeshare do you stay in at Winter Park?

WorldMark Rocky Mountain Preserve in Granby for skiing; the Pines at Meadowridge next month for the Winter Park Wine Fest (shuttle bus stop across the street).

 

[CO skier]

I've tried the frozen salmon, but its just not as good as fresh.

Definitely; I like the farm-raised salmon at Costco, or the steelhead trout (new item?), even better.

 

[am1]

It's decades of people telling staff, "If you don't like working long hours for low pay, find another job."

Well, they found better jobs. And now restaurants don't have enough people to stay open all shifts and every day. I'd love to say that this is causing policy changes industry-wide. Hell, no. Restaurant owners are stuck in the 20th century (19th is more fair). They can't wrap their head around the concept of "if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys." So they stick with $2.13/hour. (Half the states still use this -- the other half finally increased hourly wages for tipped employees. But still not a living wage.)

Frankly, I hope more than half of the restaurants in the US go under. They don't deserve to stay in business. And then maybe -- maybe -- younger, more savvy chefs will take over these shuttered businesses and open restaurants which don't rely on indentured servitude. Even better, they can stop pouring frozen industrial garbage directly from a bag into a deep fryer and charging fine-dining prices.

I guess you live in a fantasy world.

Maybe public benefits are too good to work.

If you really think younger chefs will change thing for the better.

 

[ScoopKona]

If you really think younger chefs will change thing for the better.

I absolutely think they will. The older chefs are dinosaurs. They haven't had a new idea in decades. The restaurant industry would be better off if they all retired en masse.

 

[dougp26364]

@am1 , yes, I will not be returning to any of the restaurants owned by Jeff Lobdell and my husband literally deducted this 3% surcharge and tipped off the non-surcharge amount

I never tip on taxes or any addiction none food/drink charges. It irks me that some restaurants base their suggested tip on the total amount, including taxes.
Fortunately 10%, 15% or 20% is Easy enough for me to calculate in my head. Unfortunately, many people seem to lack this basic math skill and just go off the suggested tip amount on the receipt.

 

[Ken555]

I absolutely think they will. The older chefs are dinosaurs. They haven't had a new idea in decades. The restaurant industry would be better off if they all retired en masse.

This is already happening.

The kids of L.A.'s immigrant cooks are growing up to become chefs. How they're shaping the food scene

Generation Los Angeles: How the sons and daughters of Los Angeles immigrant restaurant families are taking over and influencing how we eat.

www.latimes.com

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[funtime2]

Some places are not giving back change when you pay with cash.

 

[dioxide45]

I never tip on taxes or any addiction none food/drink charges. It irks me that some restaurants base their suggested tip on the total amount, including taxes.
Fortunately 10%, 15% or 20% is Easy enough for me to calculate in my head. Unfortunately, many people seem to lack this basic math skill and just go off the suggested tip amount on the receipt.

I ususally do the math in my head and round up to the nearest buck, or if rounding up takes it close to the nearest $5 interval, then I just round up to that. The tax being included in the suggested amounts doesn't bother me so much because in the end as it probably works out to only an extra $0.50-$1 in the tip. Something I am probably giving anyway in the roundup anyway.

 

[rickandcindy23]

WorldMark Rocky Mountain Preserve in Granby for skiing; the Pines at Meadowridge next month for the Winter Park Wine Fest (shuttle bus stop across the street).

Living in CO as we have all of our lives, I don't see us ever staying at the WM in Granby, but maybe someday. I did book Estes Park for next year for both us and our kids.

We own at Pines at Meadow Ridge, but we have only stayed once. We own a super cheap week 23 that we use in RCI for PFD. The fees are about $310 per year for that annual week.

We do own at Twin Rivers and stayed there a lot when the kids were young, but once we started exchanging, we no longer went to our home resort.