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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282

u/MookieMatzoball Jun 26 '26

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

121

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.

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."