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. <img class="size-full wp-image-1263229446" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-21-at-11.12.27.jpg" alt="18% service charge receipt " width="680" height="918" />[[imagecaption|| Redditors were left shocked at the 18% service charge. Credit: TRTL2k/Reddit]] The dispute arose when a disgruntled patron shared a receipt on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinfuriating/comments/16hxgm3/this_restaurants_has_an_automatic_18_service/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reddit</a>, 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." <img class="size-full wp-image-1263227168" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/09/GettyImages-1258030098.jpg" alt="Casa Bonita, the Lakewood restaurant, purchased by the creators of South Park in 2021." width="1024" height="683" />[[imagecaption|| Casa Bonita, the Lakewood restaurant, purchased by the creators of South Park in 2021. Credit: Hyoung Chang / Getty]] In complete contrast to this bizarre story, the creators of South Park recently made headlines after they <a href="https://vt.co/entertainment/film-tv/south-park-creators-praised-for-banning-tipping-at-their-restaurant-paying-servers-30-an-hour-instead">banned tipping</a> 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 <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2023/06/24/casa-bonita-employee-pay-tips-reopening" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Axios</a>: "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... [[jwplayerwidget||https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/crl7WUlB-YXhMkIor.mp4||crl7WUlB]]  <h6>Featured image credit: Robert Alexander/Getty</h6>

Restaurant's 18% service charge for party of 1 shocks social media

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