DC Restaurant fees/surcharges

[KeithA]

I was reading the comments in the Rasika topic about RW being a good deal or not at it and other restaurants and then I read this article about restaurant fees/surcharges - https://dcist.com/story/24/01/23/dc-restaurant-fees-service-charges-lawsuits-travelers-united/. I'm curious what people think including those who run restaurants. I think (I may be wrong as I'm not in the biz) that restaurants may be scared of raising menu prices to cover additional costs because they think it will turn off customers but if everyone was required to list correct menu prices without additional surcharges, I think it would be better for all. No bad feelings by customers, no need to explain by staff, and no threats of lawsuits.  I've personally been surprised at some of the restaurants where I've been where the total per person cost is $50-100 and then after the fee/surcharge % is calculated it is only about $3-8 more per person. I can't imagine most people eating at pricier restaurants are going to skip a meal if the price difference is a few dollars. I mean whether an entree is $32 or 34 or a glass of wine is $12 or 14 dollars is likely a negligible difference for most diners. Granted people do notice when a price goes from $28 to $32 but I'm sure smart restaurant staff can adjust menu prices in ways that wouldn't turn off customers but still get that less than $10 per person without the confusing surcharges. Per my opening, I'm not in the biz and so open to critique by restaurants if there is some aspect I'm missing. 

I also think that with the surcharges, the article is correct that some people tip less if they have to pay a surcharge (whether rightly or wrongly described on the menu per the AG's advice). The whole point of getting rid of tipped salary was to give staff a steady paycheck and so if that means menu prices go up then they should go up. IMHO.