The debate on restaurant surcharges is heating up in Chicago, with diners and food industry voices weighing in on whether these additional fees, which emerged during the pandemic, should become a permanent fixture on checks. An increase in surcharges continues to be reported, not just as a means to cover emergency measures, but to offset ongoing costs such as labor, food, and credit card fees, as disclosed by the Chicago Sun-Times. Restaurant owners claim these fees are essential to keep businesses afloat and menu prices competitive, yet customers like Jocelyn Jimenez find them sneaky, arguing that they should be explicitly reflected in menu prices. "It should be reflected on the prices already there," Jimenez told the Sun-Times, suggesting a more transparent approach to billing.
While some establishments communicate these surcharges clearly through signs or menu notations, others slip them in more discreetly, causing dissatisfaction among patrons, and some, caught off guard by the surcharges that can soar up to 25% to cover employee tips, have taken to platforms like Reddit, compiling a "Surcharge Offenders List" which now boasts over 150 restaurants bearing this unexpected add-on. Sam Sanchez, owner of River North's Moe’s Cantina and Tree House, rationalized his 3% service fee, explaining, "Labor goes up every year, so [with] the 3% is across the board, you’re not charging more for one thing and less for another," he claimed in a Sun-Times interview.
On the other hand, Chicago eateries are garnering diverse reactions from local food media personalities detailed by Eater Chicago. Critics like ESPN’s Sarah Spain and Eater Chicago’s Brenda Storch are backing the fees provided they ensure fair compensation for staff, while for others like Chicago Magazine's Amy Cavanaugh and Axios Chicago's Monica Eng, it's more about how these fees are presented, suggesting all-inclusive rates or rolling the fees into the cost of menu items to simplify the diner's experience. But Eng also highlighted the potential confusion, sarcastically noting that Chicagoans will need a math degree "to figure it out."
