Restaurant adds an extra cost to bill that doesn't have to do with tipping and people are outraged

Restaurant-goers have spotted something else that's been added onto their bills.

For anyone who's eaten out of late, no matter when you're based in the world, you'll have probably noticed that it's not as cheap as it used to be.

In recent weeks, some US-based eateries have added 'suggested tips' to customers' bills, and people weren't happy about it.

And now yet another unexpected fee is being added.

Customers have been spotting unexpected fees on their restaurant bills. (Oscar Wong/Getty Stock Image)

Taking to Reddit yesterday (May 6), one social media user shared a snap of their check with a two percent surcharge on it.

At the bottom of the bill, it explained: "A surcharge of 2% will be added to your bill to help cover rising costs. This is not a tip or gratuity."

Alongside the photo, the Reddit user asked: "Is this normal at restaurants now?"

It's since sparked a debate on the thread, which has generated over 2,500 comments.

"This is already a fairly expensive place to eat," someone said. "I feel like 2% extra on the food items would pretty much go unnoticed, but adding this to my bill makes sure I will never go back."

Restaurants reportedly started adding the controversial surcharge last year. (patpitchaya/Getty Stock Image)

Another person fumed: "I don’t even get this. Anyone who sits at a table that charges $18 for guacamole isn’t leaving because it’s $19 now. Just raise the prices for the food your customers won’t get p*ssed off."

A third insisted: "Unless this is posted prominently on the menu, I would not pay it."

While it seems to be a new thing to some people, these surcharges are thought to have been first introduced last year.

According to CNBC, in 2023 15 percent of restaurant owners added surcharges. Most of these added fees range from three to five percent.

A restaurant’s typical pretax profit is about five percent of sales, said the news outlet.

Speaking on the matter, Hudson Riehle, the National Restaurant Association’s senior vice president of research, said: "It’s a very thin margin to begin with."

He added that most costs have become higher now than they were before the pandemic, something Riehle labelled as 'unprecedented'.

With this in mind, some restaurant owners opted to add the surcharges in question to stay afloat.

Speaking to CNBC in July, he predicted that this would soon 'become permanent'.

However, the state of California has recently passed a bill that makes restaurant surcharges illegal.

The new law will come into force from July 1 onwards, as per the San Francisco Chronicle.

Topics: Food and Drink, Money, Reddit, Social Media, US News

Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton is an experienced journalist for UNILAD, specialising in topics including mental health and showbiz, as well as anything Henry Cavill and cat related. She has previously worked for OK! Magazine, Caters and Kennedy.

@niamhshackleton