‘Now we’re paying the workers salaries ??!!’: Restaurant customer discovers 4% wellness charge on receipt

A customer of Funke, a Beverly Hills, California restaurant featured in the Michelin Guide, has gone viral after discovering a 4 percent wellness charge on his receipt.

In a TikTok that has amassed 1.8 million views, Cary (@tactical.realtor) shared a copy of his receipt and expressed his shock at the 4 percent charge.

"I took my wife out to dinner tonight for Mother's Day, and at the end of the night, when we got our bill, I noticed a supplemental wellness charge for 4 percent," he explained. "I asked the waiter what it was for, and apparently, it's for the wellness and health benefits for the kitchen staff. I didn't read the bottom of the receipt, and I didn't know I could have 'em remove that charge. By the time I found out, it was too late, so we ended up paying. I'm not sure why we're paying the kitchen staff's health benefits."

At the bottom of the receipt for the $740 meal, the following explanation for the surcharge was given: "A 4% charge will be added to each guest check. This charge does not replace a customary guest gratuity and will be retained by the restaurant to help supplement the compensation of the kitchen staff and provide health and wellness benefits to our employees. If you would like this charge removed, please let our staff know."

@tactical.realtor #mothersday #beverlyhills #finedining #thingsthatdontmakesense #funkerestaurant ♬ original sound - Cary Tong

A representative for Funke didn't immediately respond to the Daily Dot's request for comment via email.

Viewers were taken aback

All in all, commenters were shocked by the move, and numerous viewers pointed out that the onus shouldn't be on customers to ensure staff get health benefits. "I understand that employees needs wellness & health benefits [but] it's the employers responsibility, not ours," one commenter noted. While another commenter took the opposing stance, arguing, "If I was able to afford Don Julio and Bone in Ribeye - I wouldn't be complaining about 4% for the staff's benefits."

On the other hand, others were more shocked about the price of the restaurant bill alone. "Im still trying to figure out how this all adds up to over $700," one admitted. "$10 for 2 cokes is wild," another said. A third asked, "Where do you live that dinner costs that much money?! I'm at a loss. that would be 2 months of groceries!"

A similar scenario to Cary's has actually happened before. In January 2023, Ashley Nichole (@ashnichole_xo) and her friend went viral after revealing how a restaurant charged each of them a 5 percent fee for "employee health."

"Is that normal and have I been living under a rock and this is a normal thing?" she asked. "Or is this weird? Because I've never experienced this before, and it feels weird. But maybe this is normal elsewhere."

Cary didn't immediately respond to the Daily Dot's request for comment via TikTok comment.

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