(WHTM) — Restaurant bills show the prices for food and drink, and a line for the tip. But, added fees sometimes show up as well these days.
Remember back during COVID when some restaurants added surcharges to help employees and pay for all that disinfecting?
The pandemic may be essentially over but some restaurants are still doing it.
Mary Ann Shomaker recently went to a birthday dinner, but her family received a surprise that had nothing to do with the special day.
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“When they brought the bills to us, there was a charge on it that said merchant fee,” Shomaker said.
Everyone in her party had a small fee added. In her case, just $1.39.
Still, they asked their waiter.
“He said they instituted this a couple of months ago, it’s to cover charges such as napkins and straws,” Shomaker said. “And we said, you got to be kidding. This is a restaurant.”
From fast food to sit-down restaurants, dining out has become a lot more expensive these days.