BUFFALO, N.Y. — We've seen gratuity fees added onto restaurant bills with large parties.
However, a new fee is creeping into the restaurant industry: a so-called kitchen appreciation fee. While it's voluntary, customers are feeling ambushed.
Matthew Mancini is one. " I was wondering, A, what is this? B, do I have to pay this?" he said.
Mancini said he understands why the fee is added, so he pays for it.
"If it's optional, you don't want to be that person that says, 'Hey, I don't want to pay this,' because then you look like a jerk," Mancini said.
The president of the New York State Restaurant Association, Melissa Fleischut, said the fees are only seen in Western New York, averaging about 3%.
"This is trying to help boost the wages of the kitchen staff," Fleischut said. "The consumers becoming more and more price conscience and adverse to higher prices. Our restaurant owners are [really] afraid of increasing prices so much, you stop coming out."
Fleischut finished by saying customers must be warned. Regardless, customers say it's about the perception of seeing the fee rather than the reason for it.
In South Buffalo, Steve Marchioine owns Casa Di Francesca's.
"I hear them say a lot in the kitchen, 'I made you that tip,' " Marchioine said.
He doesn't have a kitchen fee. He understands why restaurants have it. He disagrees with it.
"It should be more of a voluntary thing and not something [that's] put on their bill," Marchioine said.
We've contacted restaurants with the fee and are waiting to hear back.
Overall, Mancini said, " I would prefer prices just increase. Bake the increase in the price of the product because people won't question that. They'll say, 'Oh, the prices are going up. That's common,' but if you see a line item that says tip, that will set some people off."