So my spouse and I went out to lunch today and I noticed a strange service fee added to the check. When I asked my server about it she poi...
So my spouse and I went out to lunch today and I noticed a strange service fee added to the check. When I asked my server about it she pointed to a note at the bottom of the check explaining that the service fee is to help pay “hard-working kitchen staff.” I thought that paying for my restaurant bill was helping to pay the hard-working kitchen staff. WTF? Did I miss a change in restaurant billing customs while sheltering in place? I’ve been to plenty of restaurants lately, but this is the first time I’ve come across this fee.
Now to be clear, the fee was small, about 4% of the cost of the food, not including beverages. I’d be much less annoyed if they just charged 4% more for the food and didn’t stick a service charge in there. I feel like the restaurant is trying to fool people into thinking that it’s less expensive than it is, and at the end of the meal they tack on extra costs, without prior notification. That pisses me off.
People who work in restaurants tend to work very hard, in very taxing circumstances. The kitchen staff is usually overworked and underpaid. I absolutely think that they should be paid a fair wage, and I have no problem paying for the food and service that I enjoy. It’s the sneakiness that pisses me off. I don’t plan to return to that restaurant anytime soon.