Last Sunday the Star-Ledger and NJ.com (as a “subscriber exclusive”) ran an article about a restaurant that had instituted a “kitchen appreciation fee” tacked at the end of every bill. With the fact that sales tax will also be added and the need to tip,((I realize that a ‘gratuity’ is theoretically voluntary, given the very low minimum wage that servers get, it really isn’t. I would prefer that the waitstaff be paid a full wage by management and that cost be reflected in the cost of food and drink with no tipping expected or required to assure that servers are paid fairly.)) the restaurant tab will start to look like a new car sticker or a cell phone bill.
While I would prefer that the restaurant owners adjust menu prices to generate the same revenue,((My aversion to surcharges in the form of mandatory fees, summed up as “the price should be the price,” does not extend to sales taxes, which I believe should be separately stated based upon the countervailing principle that we should know how much we pay in taxes.)) there is noting inherently objectionable about the kitchen appreciation fee so long as it is not misleading. It must be prominently presented so the bill brings no surprises and also be used entirely for the described purpose.
In order to be prominently presented, I think that it would have to be repeated on every page (or at least every two-page spread) of the menu in type of a sufficient size so that it is not likely to be missed by customers in a hurry to order. (Recall how difficult it can be to find the listing of sides from which to choose.) The term “kitchen appreciation” means (to me) that it is benefitting the kitchen staff.
The article also mentions that some restaurants charge an extra fee if the customer pays by credit card in order to cover the processing cost. Again, this fee should be prominently advertised to avoid surprises and it cannot exceed the actual processing cost.
Jay Bohn
September 29, 2022