A billionaire-owned restaurant charged a minimum wage fee. Outrage ensued.

[steve2470]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/food/wp/2017/08/17/a-billionaire-owned-restaurant-charged-a-minimum-wage-fee-outrage-ensued/?tid=pm_lifestyle_pop&utm_term=.7da7aada3191

https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=&w=1484


A customer dining at D.C.’s Oceanaire restaurant noticed an unusual line at the bottom of his receipt: “Due to the rising costs of doing business in this location, including costs associated with higher minimum wage rates, a 3% surcharge has been added to your total bill.” Brian, who asked The Washington Post to use only his first name to avoid conflicts with his employer, was surprised to see the additional charge. He snapped a picture and sent it to local blog Popville, which posted a picture of his receipt. The outraged comments started rolling in.

“Just raise prices if you need to, don’t try to slip this in under the radar and then pretty much blame [it] on employees who need to make a living!” wrote one commenter. “I have no problem paying high prices to support better wages, but I do have a major problem with this sort of deceptive business practice,” said another. A third put it succinctly: “Take your political statement and shove it.”

The Oceanaire is owned by Landry’s, a company whose chief executive, Tilman Fertitta, stars on CNBC’s “Billion Dollar Buyer” and has been called “America’s richest restaurateur.” The company owns other chains, including Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Mastro’s, McCormick & Schmick’s and the Rainforest Cafe, plus Morton’s, where readers have spotted a similar charge in the D.C. area. Fertitta has spoken out numerous times about increases to the minimum wage.

“I have no issue with raising minimum wage,” Fertitta said to CNBC in 2014, “but then the customer can’t say to us, ‘Why are you raising your prices?’ ” He called the minimum wage a “training wage” on Fox Business. (He also told CNBC last month that he thinks President Trump is doing “a great job.”)

[speaktruthtopower]

1. Change the menus, not the tab under the radar..

[TexasBushwhacker]

2. "Training wage" would indicate that it's temporary

I'm sure it isn't. Besides, most of his restaurants have pretty hefty price tags. No one is going to ask about a $38 steak dinner going up to $40.

[Eliot Rosewater]

3. I better not be the only one ENRAGED when i see this.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. I am applying my "customer against assholes" discount of 5% to your bill.

[benld74]

5. Boycott their eateries

[Major Nikon]

12. They suck and are overpriced

Just another reason not to go there

[Fla Dem]

6. What a phoney. Resturants raise prices all the time for a myriad of reasons.

You don't see a surcharge for increase in water rates, or increase in utility rates, or city /state taxes or the price of food. Only reason to single out increase in wages is to make a political statement and cause resentment against wait staff, bar tenders and kitchen staff.

Another despicable human being.

[Mr. Ected]

7. Vote with your $

Refuse to dine at their eateries.

[mitch96]

15. +1... if they have a web site, let 'em know also

This guy is a weapons grade dick... like the OP says, vote with your wallet and let others know.
m

[dalton99a]

8. Kick.

[NYC Liberal]

9. Do they call out other things when they raise prices?

A beef surcharge when beef prices go up?

A delivery surcharge when their shipping company raises their rates?

A utilities surcharge when their electric/gas bill goes up?

Why do these companies only throw a tantrum about raising prices when it’s for something that helps workers - like minimum wage or health care?

[GreenPartyVoter]

13. +1,000,000!

[BBG]

10. Saw Some of this in Seattle too

We're working our way up to $15 an hour here for small employers (under 500 employees) and are at $13 this year. Meanwhile there have been some restaurants engaging in surcharges along these lines. Haters gotta hate.

[stopbush]

11. "We've added 5% to your bill so the owner will have a larger profit margin for himself."

Why isn't that truth on the check?

[gyroscope]

14. A billionaire pays his employees only the minimum wage?

why am I not surprised? this is the reason why there are minimum wage laws. he would be paying them $2 per hour if he could.

[marylandblue]

16. If I saw that, I'd refuse to sign the bill until they took it off

[Not Ruth]

17. The secret of restaurants

They charge more for food than it costs to cook it at home.

Like 400% markup over the cost of their ingredients.

But they like that 400%, not 300%.

So they will fight for every penny.