What to Know
Dining out looks different all over the world, but in the United States, most diners know that when budgeting for a meal, the final cost isn’t going to be limited to the prices you see on the menu — a tip is also expected to your server. But even beyond that, some restaurants are extra sneaky about adding on hidden fees you don’t find out about until you get the bill, and one couple is totally shocked after this happened to them.
According to a Facebook post they made about their experience that’s going viral, the restaurant tacked on a whopping 20% charge, and get this: It’s not even going to their server, so a tip is still fully expected.
They were dining out at a restaurant in Seattle.
The location in question is the Edgewater Hotel’s restaurant and bar, Six Seven (yes, it’s really called that) and according to the photo of the receipt the couple posted on Facebook, they went out for a couple of light bites and cocktails on New Year’s Day.
“I went out for drinks and a few small plates, thinking it would be a normal night. Two people, nothing wild,” the OP wrote. “We ordered a couple of cocktails, sliders, burrata, and called it a day. When the check comes, the total already feels higher than expected, so I actually look at the receipt instead of just tapping my card.”
Their bill was much larger than expected.
The total on the bill was $105, and even though the drinks were definitely higher in price than they might be at other restaurants, the total was also high because the bill included a 20% surcharge for a “large party.” Uh, is two people really considered a “large party?”
Further down on the receipt, the charge is explained as a Pier Maintenance Fee, which “assists ownership in maintaining the integrity of the over the water facility in order to provide you this unique experience.”
Needless to say, this couple wasn’t happy. “At no point did I ask to personally sponsor the structural integrity of the building. If there’s a pier fee, just put it in the prices or tell me upfront. Don’t slap a fake gratuity on the bill and then clarify in fine print that it doesn’t even go to the people serving me,” they wrote. “Nothing like finishing a meal feeling like you accidentally signed up for a micro-subscription to a dock.”
This couple isn’t the first to be unhappy about the hidden fee.
According to the Yelp reviews for Six Seven, plenty of other diners have been slapped with this fee before, and they’re not happy about it either.
“There is a hidden fee called pier maintenance. Plus the recommended tip is also based on post-tax and post-hidden fees, which doesn’t make sense to me at all,” one diner wrote in their review.
So far, the restaurant doesn’t seem to have come forward to explain themselves, but that definitely feels like something that diners should be warned about before they order.
