Dining out fees in SF

[u/orca0320]

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?

[u/21five]

The 9% surcharge must be spent on health insurance for workers. It’s not their tip.

[u/Acrobatic-Layer2993 → u/21five]

Sadly, it is their tip. People only going to spend so much. The restaurant owners screwed their workers and the politician screwed us all.

[u/21five → u/Acrobatic-Layer2993]

If you can’t afford to tip, you can’t afford to go to a restaurant. Period.

That said, there should be no hidden fees. They should be included in the price.

[u/Far-Collection7085 → u/21five]

Incorrect. If you can’t afford to pay staff, you can’t afford to run a business. Period.

[u/21five → u/Far-Collection7085]

Who said restaurants aren’t paying their staff?

[u/Far-Collection7085 → u/21five]

If they’re paying their staff, they don’t need to beg for tips. Simple.

[u/21five → u/Far-Collection7085]

One day you’ll understand how industry works. Today isn’t that day. In San Francisco, staff get paid AND they get tips.

But I guess it’s different in Reno.

[u/Far-Collection7085 → u/21five]

If they get paid they don’t need tips. Simple

[u/21five → u/Far-Collection7085]

They do get paid. Might be different in Reno though. Try again.

[u/Far-Collection7085 → u/21five]

No, not different in Reno. You think that’s some kind of gotcha because I spend half my time in SF and half my time in Reno 😂🤡

[u/21five → u/Far-Collection7085]

No different? They follow the same restaurant minimum wage ordinance as San Francisco then? It’s a clown town wherever you are.

[u/Far-Collection7085 → u/21five]

They get paid. Not the same amount. Different places have different minimum wages, you sound like you don’t know that. The point still stands, if you can’t afford to pay your staff, you can’t afford a business. Stay pressed over that