With the Affordable Care Act requiring larger businesses (50 + FT employees) to provide health insurance for workers, some restauranteurs have begun adding a 3% surcharge to customer's bills, to help cover the increased costs of doing business. While San Francisco restauranteurs were faced with a similar issue in 2008, when a citywide mandate required they provide health insurance, the
LA Times is reporting that many Southern California restaurants are now following suite.
Some of the restaurants participating in the movement include AOC, Tavern, Animal and the Hungry Cat. As the
LA Times reports, many of these restaurant's owners want to provide health care care for employees, and adding a surcharge to bills is an easy, transparent solution that won't cut into their margins (which are notoriously slim in the restaurant industry). Most restauranteurs insist it is not a political statement, but rather a necessity. While most customers seem to be fine with the charge (it is largely high-end restaurants participating), some have complained, while others suggested taking a less confrontational route by rolling it into menu prices.
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Source:
LA Times,
Image Credit (Flickr)
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