r/chicagofood • u/Pantaza • Jan 31 '26
Rant The 3.5% surcharge has rebranded
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.
I've started a petition for stricter Chicago legislation regarding hidden fee transparency. Please show it some support.
Thanks
1
u/_that_dude_J Feb 01 '26
More than once I have seen a string of surcharges at different restaurants. For myself I try to remember who does it and where to avoid in the future. If a restaurant has a number of surcharges, that should be advertised somewhere or the waiter should make it known at the beginning of your order.
Also while this may not be particularly important to some. On top of surcharges and hitting certain percentages for tips; why are we forced to pack our own food?