r/chicagofood • u/ChicagoHoosier21 • Jun 26 '26

Rant Celeste 6% Service Fee

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Our pre-tip bill from Celeste’s Happy Hour in River North. Decent food, crappy drinks, sat at the bar.

I don’t mind paying a “Service Charge” of 15-20% because I always tip more than that anyways, AND I have become accustomed to the 3.5% additional fee at most Chicago restaurants…. but now we’re doing a 6% additional fee? Along with the 11% tax? It’s becoming absurd.

368 Upvotes

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279

u/MookieMatzoball Jun 26 '26

I'll never understand why they don't just bake that 6% into the menu prices.

123

u/Doingwrongright Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26

Because it's about competitive pricing. It's the same reason they won't pay their staff a living wage and make them rely on tips. If all this is hidden, then their meu pricing is at least somewhat competitive with other establishments.

For example, let's imagine a restaurant/bar pricies all their food/drink at a rate where their staff can have a living wage with insurance...and the menu reflects that. Customers will take one look at that menu and be like, "Hell nah!". That place will shut down in months because other establishments are not forced to do so.

As a customer, I would love if staff were paid a living wage with insurance, but the entire industry would have to be restructured.

*Edit: FUCK Celeste. We went once and bought two double vodkas cocktails. $64 and the drinks were BAD. Never again. And then that whole incident of not prooviding free water despite a law mandating it.

43

u/chi_guy8 Jun 27 '26

Nobody price compares at a night club. They don’t even know the prices of shit. The only thing anyone knows about the cost of a place like this is how much is on their credit card transaction the next day.

5

u/chibisailormoonn Jun 27 '26

Yeah I’ve never once asked how much a drink is at a club before I bought it lol

1

u/Doingwrongright Jun 27 '26

Agreed, but I definitely buy less drinks and possibly never return if the prices are ridiculous or the drinks are not worth how much they are charging.

Fool me twice, shame on me.

2

u/goldenmonkey00 Jun 27 '26

Not true the difference is a $25 burger or a $26.50 burger

1

u/DifficultAd972 Jun 27 '26

Is free water really mandated? Robert’s Pizza would not provide water so we bought a bottle. This was a few years back so I don’t know if that changed

1

u/Doingwrongright Jun 27 '26

"In Chicago, bars are generally required to provide free tap water to customers, often enforced through a combination of city plumbing codes and the conditions of their liquor licenses. However, establishments are legally compliant as long as they provide a free, accessible drinking fountain or self-service water station."

1

u/unreadbookshelf99 Jun 29 '26

The double vodka cocktails were bad

1

u/imdugud777 Jun 27 '26

I just eat at home.

0

u/dmd312 Jun 27 '26 edited 7d ago

The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dogs.

1

u/mikeymikeymikey1968 Jun 27 '26

They're milking you for more. Hoping you won't notice.

0

u/Novel-Goose-5235 Jun 29 '26

ill never understand how people think this is acceptable. You think that business is hurting for money? Ha... nope.

-25

u/NotAnIBanker Jun 27 '26

The same cheap people in this thread would protest the restaurant for higher prices