A Georgia diner was stunned after spotting an unexpected charge on his restaurant bill — and the internet quickly joined in his outrage.
The man posted a photo of his receipt to Instagram Threads in mid-June with the caption, “WTF is a living wage fee?” His simple meal included a $13 Reuben, a $12 burger, and two sides of fries at $4 each.
Then came the surprise: an 18% “living wage fee” tacked on an extra $5.94 to the check, pushing the total to $40.75 after tax.
At the bottom of the receipt, the restaurant explained, “Living wage fee of 18% added to each dine-in check. This fee goes directly to staff payroll and provides a living wage to our team.” It also noted that tips are pooled and shared across the staff.
The post exploded with over 500 comments and sparked debate across social media and Reddit. Some users compared it to COVID-era “health and safety” fees and “kitchen appreciation” charges that confused or annoyed diners.
“The business owner should be embarrassed,” one Redditor wrote. “If they can’t pay the staff, don’t run a business.” Another added, “Means I’m never eating at that restaurant again.”
Others accused the owner of pushing their responsibilities onto customers. “The business owner is too cheap to pay employees, so he’s making you do it,” one woman wrote.
Restaurant consultant Salar Sheik told Fox News Digital that the backlash is understandable. “Guests should feel they’re receiving value,” he said. “Underpricing menu items and then adding a service charge or percentage on top can leave them feeling misled or cheated.”
Sheik added that fees like this are just a temporary fix. “A better approach is to reassess your menu pricing,” he said. “Using these charges is just a shortcut.”