The waitress takes away the final plates of our meal as my friends and I continue conversing over our drinks. We’re at a small, but popular, New Mex

Perfidious Pricing - by Michael Bateman - Passing Time

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2023-01-24 20:00:08

The waitress takes away the final plates of our meal as my friends and I continue conversing over our drinks. We’re at a small, but popular, New Mexican restaurant down the street from my house. It’s a hip spot, with exposed incandescent lighting illuminating the eclectic Southwestern décor in sharp contrast to the cold, snowy weather outside.

As the conversation winds down, the waitress returns with the check and a small placard. “If you haven’t been here recently, I wanted to let you know that we attach a 20% Fair Wage and Wellness Fee to all orders. This sheet of paper explains it. It’s… not a tip.” She slides the paper across the table and, somewhat embarrassedly, adds, “If you have any questions, please let me know.”

As the waitress slips away, we all raise our eyebrows. We read the note, which explains that the fee is explicitly not a tip and that it goes to paying the full kitchen staff benefits. It suggests that we still tip our server.

Someone asks, “So… does this mean we should tip 20% on top of the fee?” At the same time, I wonder if we tip based on the amount of the bill or on the post-Wellness Fee amount. Pre-tax or post-tax basis? We all review the prices on the menu suspiciously in light of this mandatory service charge, conveniently revealed after we had already ordered and eaten our meal. Those tacos did seem surprisingly cheap when I ordered them…