San Francisco Service Charge
Recently customer Barry Wester wrote to us with this comment:
“We recently enjoyed a very good meal at your restaurant, but were surprised that you have a surcharge added to the bill. Why is this?”
Barry, we don’t like it either!
Over the past year the City and County of San Francisco have imposed charges on us that cost us about 6% which goes directly to our bottom line. Most restaurants have a profit margin of only 2-3%. We had to do something. We had the choice of raising prices or using the option of the “SF Service Charge” of 4%. Obviously we opted for the surcharge.
When we raise prices our customers get upset with us and many of them stop coming. By implementing the service charge our customers might still get upset but at least we get a chance to explain the reason for the charge. I’d rather have them upset with the City of San Francisco than us. You will be seeing prices similarly raised at restaurants all over San Francisco soon. Our industry has no choice if we are to survive.
If the charge still bothers you we will gladly remove it from your check!
But remember it was the city, not “the Fior” that precipitated the charge.
Fior d’ Italia Management and Staff
*Mandated charges: Minimum wage of $9.14 which is over 60% more than the Federal Minimum. Even our tipped employees get this and all of our non-tipped employees receive well over the minimum.
Two weeks a year of “Paid Time Off” for just about anything the employee
wants in addition to regular vacation.
Increased taxes and fees for our business operations and licenses.
