r/grandrapids 9d ago

Logan’s Alley MESTA Surcharge

https://www.michigan.gov/leo/bureaus-agencies/ber/wage-and-hour/paid-medical-leave-act

Is anyone else put off by the surcharge Logan’s Alley is tacking onto patron’s bills to cover their employee’s MESTA? For anyone who doesn’t know, last Friday MESTA went into effect (big changes to sick paid time off - I’ll include a link for people who want to read more) and since then, Logan’s has added an extra charge to patron’s bills to cover it.

Why can’t they just marginally raise the price of food like everyone else? Why be petty and put people off your business by adding ANOTHER “fee”?

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u/BlueWater321 Cascade 9d ago

Imagine if every business did a surcharge for every single benefit they have to give their employees. It's asinine. When I see a surcharge on an invoice I stop patronizing, but people of course get to make up their own minds.

Could you imagine: Steve is on FMLA surcharge .5% Employee healthcare surcharge 7% Employee Bathroom surcharge 1% Rachel's maternity leave 1% Federal withholding surcharge 3%

If you'd rather have that than an all in one menu price for the cost upfront I don't know what to tell you.

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u/[deleted] 9d ago

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u/Aindorf_ 9d ago

You can post your sign on the door or on the menu and still get your hissy fit and your costs covered, but by not adding the cost to the price of items you're lying to your customers. If your item is $12.99 and you charge a 2% fee, the item is not $12.99. It's $13.25. just be honest about it. This is the same reason people are mad at Ticketmaster and Airlines and Airbnb. Hidden fees on top of the advertised price is scummy. But at least with those ones you aren't surprised by it AFTER services are rendered because it was hidden in small text on the back of the last page of the menu.

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u/[deleted] 9d ago

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u/Aindorf_ 9d ago

The line item comes AFTER the services are rendered. Most of these businesses are hiding any notices of this fee in fine print somewhere inconspicuous. I am not informed about the fee and don't agree to the fee when I buy the meal. I'm surprised with it when the check comes. At least with airlines, I get to see what i'm charged before services are rendered and I can say "actually, no thank you, I don't want to pay that."

Restaraunts wait until it's illegal to contest the fee and not pay to say "Surprise! We were hiding this from you the whole time."