Restaurants still adding menu surcharges, even though pandemic has ended

CINCINNATI — You may recall that during those peak COVID months, some restaurants added surcharges to help employees and pay for all the disinfecting they had to do daily.

The pandemic may be over, but some restaurants are still adding surcharges to diners' bills.

Mary Ann Shomaker recently stumbled upon one.

She had gone to a birthday dinner at Cincinnati's Agave and Rye taco restaurant.

But her family received a surprise that had nothing to do with the special day.

"When they brought the bills to us," Shomaker said, "there was a charge on it that said 'merchant fee.'"

Everyone in her party had a small fee added. In her case, it was just $1.39 for her entree and drink.

Still, they asked their waiter and were surprised by his answer.

"He said they instituted this a couple of months ago, and it's to cover charges such as napkins and straws," she said. "And we said 'you got to be kidding. This is a restaurant.'"

Her frustration is understandable, as dining out has become a lot more expensive in the past few years.

Fees started during the pandemic

"Merchant" or "dining-in" fees are just one of the things that add to your bill.

It was a lot more understandable back during the pandemic when Hannah Volz showed us the 7.5 percent "supply chain surcharge" she got, saying it surprised her.

"I hadn't heard of restaurants doing it yet," she told us at the time.

But two years later, the National Restaurant Association says 10 to 15 percent of eateries still add surcharges , to cover inflation, rising wages, building rent and health insurance.

Many restaurants are trying to keep entree prices reasonable, such as cheeseburger or taco dinners in the $15 range.

We contacted Agave and Rye, where a spokeswoman for the chain referred us to the restaurant's menu.

Under Frequently Asked Questions , it explains "we've introduced a 3 percent merchant fee to help keep menu prices stable." The restaurant says it wants to continue offering the freshest ingredients, even though their prices can fluctuate sharply.

Mary Ann Shomaker says she understands that, but still hates surprises.

"It seems they are nickel and diming us to death with everything, " she said.

So check that restaurant bill, and feel free to ask why if you see a strange charge, so you don't waste your money.