A service charge of 18% is sending social media into a frenzy considering it applies to parties of one and above.
Eating out is always a treat. The food normally tastes better and the lack of washing up just makes the experience a lot less stressful.
The one downside to it all is that it usually costs a fair amount more and that's not including tips - or in this case, a staggering 18% service charge.
A Vietnamese restaurant in Cupertino, California, has found itself at the center of controversy after a customer exposed what many consider an unusual dining practice.
The dispute arose when a disgruntled patron shared a receipt on Reddit, revealing an automatic 18% service charge for "parties of one or larger" at Pho Ha Noi.
The customer took to Reddit's "mildly infuriating" thread to express their dissatisfaction, saying: "I've seen restaurants include gratuity when it's a large party but never for parties of 1!"
The receipt in question displayed a subtotal of $49.50, which mysteriously escalated to $62.93 after the addition of the service fee ($8.91) and sales tax ($4.52).
It's safe to say that the 18% service charge did not sit well with some viewers, who took to the comments to express their distaste.
One person wrote: "Did you ask to speak to manager and explain to them to enjoy the $8, you will never be returning again?"
A second added: "I’d be fine with it if they just raised prices 18% and said no to tipping. Either way they’re not getting the other 2% they would have gotten if I was given the choice."
While a third said: "Imagine piggy backing off customers to make up for paying staff so poorly. Servers are supposed to earn the tip, not expect it."
In complete contrast to this bizarre story, the creators of South Park recently made headlines after they banned tipping at their Colorado restaurant and paid their staff $30 an hour instead.
Though fans of South Park will know that Casa Bonita is far from your run-of-the-mill restaurant. Spanning an impressive 52,000 square feet, this Lakewood institution offers patrons unique attractions like live indoor cliff diving and an exhilarating walk-through experience in Black Bart's Cave.
Just days before the grand reopening, staff contracts underwent a transformation, introducing new terms that guaranteed servers and bartenders an impressive $30 per hour - more than double Colorado's current minimum wage of $13.65 - while explicitly prohibiting them from accepting tips.
Stefanie Jones, a Casa Bonita spokesperson, clarified to Axios: "Casa Bonita values its employees, and based on the recent beta testing of our one-of-a-kind restaurant, we have adjusted our compensation system for efficiency and fairness."
Two different eateries with two very different methodologies...
