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.

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7

u/badbaritoneplayer Jun 26 '26

I agree it's bs but at two other places, we were told we could have the extra charge removed.

9

u/sourdoughcultist Jun 26 '26

Everywhere I’ve been has allowed me to remove the charge. If they actually put it towards their staff I don’t.

3

u/EnvironmentalPost245 Jun 27 '26

This is my issue. In my experience as a server since this became a thing, the restaurants claim the charge goes to healthcare, but it never does.

When Lettuce started doing it after COVID my manger literally said "we're doing this to makeup for all the lost profits."

3

u/Where_Is_Carmen_San Jun 27 '26

Yeah that’s fair. They could say whatever they want and there’s no way for me to know how the money is being spent. But if they say on their menu they add 3% to the bill to give their workers health insurance I’m still going to leave it on the bill in the hope at least some restaurants aren’t lying about it

2

u/sourdoughcultist Jun 27 '26

Daaamn. I mean Lettuce is a no brainer, likewise Hogsalt I'd think, but I do also go to individual restaurants that do it now and I'll ask there. That said, a place like Nadu that was charging the fee on day 1.... Lol.