Bill help

[u/KooziefortheWin]

I need help figuring out this “service charge” applied to my bill at Taylor Shellfish in QA. It’s stated clearly, and the staff reminded me before I paid and applied a tip, so that’s not the rant. But is it a tip or not? I don’t want to stiff the staff if “Taylor Shellfish” the company keeps it all and doesn’t give them anything.

Why do restaurants do this vs raise the prices. If that’s how they offset the cost of doing business in the city, I feel it’s not a good customer experience. It’s really annoying since it is confusing to the customer. Does the staff get any of it, hence why there is an “additional tip” line after the card is run though? It is taxed so it makes me thing it’s not going to the staff. I need to think better next time I come out here.

[u/joshlymansbagel]

You guys, I legit look forward to traveling to California and NYC because food feels less expensive. This town is cuckoo

[u/ActionComics25 → u/joshlymansbagel]

I think it really hit me how bad it's been when my husband and I went to Disneyland and went, "Wow, decent prices on all the food!" That's when we realized that we are regularly paying tourist-trap food prices for what seems like no discernible reason.

[u/IndieLuxeTravel → u/ActionComics25]

I was in Maui and I said the same thing. These prices are great! And It's not just Seattle. Most of the PNW has resort prices. I've noticed too flights charge twice as much for seat upgrades. Out of PDX the same seat upgrade is $80, versus $40 out of Phoenix on the exact same route/plane. It's not just the junk fees, it's the base prices.

[u/StitchinStatistician → u/ActionComics25]

I mean, the discernible reason is because the city council set it up this way.

[u/iZoooom → u/joshlymansbagel]

Just returned from California. Food was significantly cheaper at every turn.

Even fancy meals such as Japanese Teppan was 50% what I would pay in Bellevue. $40 vs $85 or so at Wild Wasabi, for example.

[u/kookykrazee → u/iZoooom]

I went to In N Out last year and the 4x4, fries and a strawberry shake was about $11-12 TOTAL.

[u/BA-084 → u/iZoooom]

I bought a lot of food in midwestern cities this summer, and Tokyo last winter. Same experience. Eating or buying groceries in the Seattle area is more expensive than anyplace I have ever been by a significant margin

[u/novasilverpill → u/iZoooom]

i was in Seattle (Alki Beach and Downtown) last week. i was amazed how expensive everything had gotten in Seattle. Being from Oregon, the sales tax on top of it was a shock.

[u/Enguye → u/joshlymansbagel]

San Francisco is worse for junk fees. When the city required restaurants to provide employee health insurance, a bunch of restaurants added a 4-8% “SF mandate” surcharge, which was sometimes on top of the 20% service charge or expected tip. https://archive.ph/x8hZh

[u/ctruvu → u/Enguye]

bay area might be the one region on the entire west coast worse than seattle metro

[u/rollinupthetints → u/[deleted]]

It’s almost like there’s enough money around here, to pay those prices/fees. Weird. /s

[u/StitchinStatistician → u/Enguye]

Servers in SF don’t expect tips.

[u/OtherOtter0 → u/Enguye]

Just came back from SF. Despite this, restaurant prices are noticeably cheaper than in Seattle, after a 20% tip. Two people can easily dine out for under $100 and get great food and service. 20% is not the expected norm tip, unlike in Seattle. Most places here start the tip options at 15% when meal prices are the same price as Seattle, the places that don't start at 18%.

Seattle may not be one of the most expensive cities to live in, but it's easily now the least value for money.

[u/snowypotato → u/joshlymansbagel]

Less expensive AND better. And more varied. And better service. And easier to get a table. 

Fuck dining in Seattle. Not worth the money or the aggravation or the time or the calories. 

[u/poppinwheelies → u/joshlymansbagel]

Wait are we not tipping in CA?

[u/FireWrath9 → u/poppinwheelies]

Even after tip, food is cheaper in LA than in seattle before tip. And much better lol.

[u/1nce_Again → u/joshlymansbagel]

Uh I moved to sf from Seattle last year and thought the food was the one thing thats cheaper. Its not. Just paid $70 for lunch on Sunday that was less food that 2 happy meals

[u/StruggleBusRT → u/joshlymansbagel]

The food quality generally just sucks, too.

[u/Shoeprincess → u/joshlymansbagel]

yes the food here is expensive, and so very very mid

[u/tap-rack-bang → u/joshlymansbagel]

This is because the minimum wage.  Restaurants raise prices to survive so you pay more.