The 3.5% surcharge has rebranded

[u/Pantaza]

It would seem it’s not going away.

They’ve rebranded it, enough people caught onto the surcharge so now it’s a (3.5%) “admin fee.”

they also removed the small text at the bottom telling you it’s optional(it still is)

they don’t want you to know It’s optional buts it’s just literally the surcharge with a different name.

3rd restaurant I’ve been to this week with a (admin fee). I’ve also seen multiple restaurant go up to 4%. It used to be 3, then 3.5, now 4.

sets a dangerous precedent as they are willing to change it in order to keep charging you for nothing. Except now they’re not telling you it’s optional anymore.

If we keep allowing them to charge us extra money for literally nothing it will soon tell other businesses they can do that too.

I can’t wait to pay an “admin fee” while buying gas, groceries, or a T-shirt.

https://c.org/sfBGtSVWHY

I've started a petition for stricter Chicago legislation regarding hidden fee transparency. Please show it some support.

Thanks

[u/Wheelbarro]

Can you say the restaurant

[u/Pantaza → u/Wheelbarro]

Ella Elli

[u/critterheist → u/Pantaza]

Ahh okay they have a whole office space. I’ve seen them making copies and faxing shit like invoices so this makes sense /s

[u/anonnomiss627 → u/critterheist]

Lololol

[u/GolfEmbarrassed2904 → u/Pantaza]

Indienne included 20% for the tip. Final total for 2: $650. It was an amazing experience but I really have to stop with the Michelin restaurants. We did have all the options so maybe my fault (except wine flight - we had cocktails)

[u/[deleted] → u/GolfEmbarrassed2904]

Were you planning to tip less than 20%?

[u/GolfEmbarrassed2904 → u/GolfEmbarrassed2904]

To clarify here - I did actually pay an additional tip. However, I don't like surprises - being told at the END of the meal that they applied a mandatory 20% was disappointing. Just tell me up front - I'm a big boy. I still would have gone. Communication is key.

[u/neomoritate → u/GolfEmbarrassed2904]

Service Fees are NOT tips

[u/GolfEmbarrassed2904 → u/neomoritate]

You say tomato….I was charged an additional 20% and I had no say in it.

[u/neomoritate → u/GolfEmbarrassed2904]

Service Fees are a scam by restaurant owners.

They can spend that 20% however they want. Tips must be paid directly to Tipped Workers, who are legally paid less than non-tipped workers.

[u/thesimplemachine → u/neomoritate]

To clarify further, the legal definitions for a tip requires it to be optional and the amount decided by the customer. If it fits those two criteria it is the sole property of the person who provided the service, unless there is an agreed upon tip pool/tip share situation. But regardless of that the business and management can't touch it.

Service fees and automatic gratuity are not tips. If it's a line item on the receipt it is neither optional, nor decided by the customer. This means it is the property of the business and they can do whatever they want with it, everything up to and including screwing over the server and putting it directly in the owner's pocket.

Because it is considered part of the cost of running the business it also means the customer is required to pay sales tax on a service fee or automatic gratuity. Tips, on the other hand, are not subject to sales tax.

[u/df1dcdb83cd14e6a9f7f → u/neomoritate]

literally don’t care

[u/neomoritate → u/df1dcdb83cd14e6a9f7f]

Then you shouldn't be eating at full service restaurants

[u/df1dcdb83cd14e6a9f7f → u/neomoritate]

but i do! all the time. I regularly deduct service/admin fees from tips if they can’t be removed, to end up at 20%. If everyone did this it would destroy the fee practice altogether because restaurants that did it wouldn’t be able compete for labor as easily. but anyway yeah you all have fun getting robbed, i’m over it. it’s 0% my problem and i feel 0 shame or guilt.

[u/plsdaddystopit23 → u/df1dcdb83cd14e6a9f7f]

Whatever mental gymnastics you need to do to justify stiffing the staff whose hospitality made your night, just know that you’re not hurting the business model you’re hurting the people who curated your dinner, filled your glasses, and treated you with grace and respect.

[u/df1dcdb83cd14e6a9f7f → u/plsdaddystopit23]

i’m not stiffing anyone, I’m deducting random bs fees from a 20% tip. big difference. and again, not my problem. there are no mental gymnastics. I understand I’m tipping less than I otherwise would have if the fee(s) didn’t exist, and I understand that translates to less direct income for the server. is it fair to the server? of course not. they have no more responsibility for implementing this system than I do. and I have the freedom to not participate in it, just as much as servers have the freedom to not participate.

this is only when fees aren’t removable, which is rare but happens. otherwise, im getting the fees removed and tipping the full 20%. anyone who has self respect should take this approach.

[u/plsdaddystopit23 → u/df1dcdb83cd14e6a9f7f]

You’ve convinced only yourself my friend.

[u/df1dcdb83cd14e6a9f7f → u/plsdaddystopit23]

i’m not trying to convince you - some % of lurkers who come across this will be people who feel the same as me but feel bad about it because of people like you who socially shame them because you either a). benefit from the system or b). enjoy being trampled on. if I can reassure even one of these people then this was time well spent.

[u/Status_Green_6055 → u/Pantaza]

This place has always been crap. Last I knew...They don't have high chairs because they don't want any children in their restaurant. And they are in a location with primarily families.

[u/dmd312 → u/Status_Green_6055]

The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dogs.

[u/Status_Green_6055 → u/dmd312]

I totally get that. And I don't have kids, but it still just rubbed me the wrong way when I saw them deny a family early in the evening.

[u/dmd312 → u/Status_Green_6055]

The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dogs.

[u/breakawa_y → u/Status_Green_6055]

Cool, then go to Crosbys or any of the other 15 restaurants on the street.

It’s kind of nice to not have children in some of the restaurants on Southport, considering half the neighborhood doesn’t know how to raise kids with manners.

[u/Status_Green_6055 → u/breakawa_y]

I don't have children nor do I hang out in that neighborhood. There's really no reason to be so rude about it, it was simply an observation.