US (California) politics
"California lawmakers fast-track restaurant exemption to hidden fees law" by Dan Walters (@DanCALmatters@twitter.com) in CalMatters https://calmatters.org/commentary/2024/06/california-restaurants-hidden-fees-law/
I've been following the developments around #SB478 since restaurants started complaining about the AG's guidance FAQ from May, and I truly do not understand why they believe they deserve this special treatment. (Okay, I know why they're *advocating* for this treatment, but the arguments themselves don't make a lot of sense.) Yes, we know restaurants have thin margins and high labor costs, but the way to respond to increased costs is to raise prices (gasp!), just like virtually every other business does.
US (California) politics
One thing I'm curious about is service charges specifically for large parties, which some reporting (e.g. https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-02-15/new-california-hidden-fees-law-service-fee-ban ) suggests would also need to be included in the advertised price.
I actually feel like this should be considered a fee for an optional service (in the words of the AG's guidance), that is, the service of waiting on/serving a large group of customers. Consider this: If you were a glutton and ordered ten dishes for yourself, in theory you wouldn't have to pay that charge, whereas a group of ten who ordered the same dishes would have to.
If the exemption doesn't pass, I'd like to see more specific guidance from the AG on this.
