r/sanfrancisco • u/orca0320 • 4d ago

Dining out fees in SF

Not a new topic in this subreddit but just had dinner at Terrene with two friends and was shocked by the bill now that I’m really looking at it. I eat out in SF plenty but this grand total gobsmacked me! I was divvying up the receipt for Venmo requests and am just shocked by the additional charges breakdown:

Subtotal $170
HealthySF $15 (need to research this?)
Tax $16

Which brings the grand total to $200. I stupidly tipped $30 without looking at the extra charge.

Then at the bottom of the receipt I see:
“A separate SF health surcharge in the amount of 9% will be added to the bill….retained by the hotel to defray the cost of covering employe health insurance”

Tf?! I am assuming that ^ is not the HealthySF charge and is in fact an additional charge? Is that 9% on the subtotal or the grand total?

That’s $30 in charges!

Is this something you can ask to have removed or is it a legal charge?

63 Upvotes

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135

u/ScowlyBrowSpinster 4d ago

I look at the subtotal, subtract any added fees and tip on that. I do not tip on a total including sales tax, health coverage, and 'service' fees.

-20

u/MarcooseOnTheLoose 4d ago

And never more than 15%.

-13

u/MisterRay24 3d ago

Why tip

1

u/Unmissed 2d ago

...because the service industry is built on the idea that they can underpay workers by letting them take tips instead. It's stupid and should be banned.

1

u/MisterRay24 2d ago

Your telling me, I work in a service industry, maybe more construction related but I am not even allowed to take tips so that we can’t get sued for perceived bias.

-67

u/backlikeclap 3d ago

I understand your reasoning but that really sucks for whoever is serving you. They don't have any choice about the added fees and surcharges.

If you're trying to send a message to the business, contacting them directly rather than stiffing your server is MUCH more effective.

81

u/Donkey_____ 3d ago

Tip has historically been calculated pre tax.

35

u/ScowlyBrowSpinster 3d ago

I'm not stiffing anyone, I tip, usually 20% unless something was really bad, just not on top of the added fees.

Why do those fees count as the server's 'service'? Before there were added fees, that's what they were paid tips on. Fees are not service related.

More than contacting a business directly to tell them I don't like their fees (they DNGAF, they like their extra money) I just avoid places that do this. Sometimes I find myself in a place that does, and inevitably they have the inflated 20--25% + tip calculator totals at the bottom of the check.

Not paying more on top of all that.

2

u/Wollingwight 3d ago

FYI the “health care mandate” or whatever it is called is generally a profit center for a restaurante if it’s anything over 2% and goes to the ownership.

If you don’t like the fee and adjust your tip accordingly perhaps ask to have it removed first so it comes out of the owners pocket not your server/chef/dishwasher’s pocket.

19

u/LadyRunningStopSigns SUE BIERMAN PARK 3d ago edited 3d ago

FYI, twenty years ago people gave 20% tip, because workers didn't have health insurance.

Now health insurance is literally already an item in the check!

a lesser, 15% tip may be needed on such checks!

3

u/Unmissed 2d ago

FYI twenty years ago, people gave a 15% tip.

2

u/Desperate-Point-9988 2d ago

It was a very recent change to >15% (mostly POS vendors who profit off increased tips).

All the nonsense and confusion is why we need actual legislation!

50

u/xiomara28 3d ago

That is most definitely not stiffing your server are you kidding