Restaurants now adding a ‘venue fee’ to customers’ bills as more sneak in dubious surcharges

Check your receipts, because a restaurant might be charging a fee before you even order.

A restaurant in Tampa, Florida, recently came under fire after a guest spotted a “venue fee” on her check. The restaurant — RO in Hyde Park — tacked on a 3% fee, a surcharge that was not posted anywhere on its menu or at its location.

The woman posted the news on the popular neighborhood app Nextdoor and claimed restaurant employees told her they were following the likes of other hotspots nearby, as many places were adding similar charges.

But RO should be careful, next week, Florida state law SB 606 will go into effect. The new law states that “every public food service establishment that charges an operations charge, or includes an automatic gratuity or service charge in the price of the meal, shall include a notice on the food menu, written contract, and website or mobile application where food and beverage orders are placed.”

Additionally, all receipts and bills must have completely separate lines for gratuity, operations charges, and sales tax, according to the law.

“Those who visit Florida’s dining establishments deserve the ability to see what they are paying for in an era where everything is being broken out into separate fees and charges,” said bill sponsor Sen. Thomas Leek.

The Post reached out to RO and parent company Three Oaks Hospitality about the fee but has not yet heard back.

Restaurants trying to pull a fast one over guests have been out of luck as states across the country are cracking down on fees. In addition to Florida, California, Illinois and New York have also added their own junk fee laws to combat the charges.

Back in 2023, California’s “Honest Pricing Law” or “Hidden Fees Statute Law” came into effect and made it illegal for most businesses to advertise or list prices without posting all extra fees or charges.

“Put simply, the price a Californian sees should be the price they pay,” the law states.

This year, Illinois signed its bill banning junk fees, increasing transparency in ticket pricing and axing other deceptive resale practices. Starting January 1, 2027, restaurants must display any automatic gratuities and mandatory fees before diners receive their check.

“Illinois consumers deserve the ability to unambiguously compare prices on goods and services, especially as costs continue to rise. They should not be blindsided by unexpected add-on fees after deciding to make a purchase,” said Attorney General of Illinois Kwame Raoul.

New York City recently updated its local Restaurant Surcharge rules which amended laws relating to restaurant fees. All local spots must now clarify the meaning of legitimate service surcharges.

Plus, restaurants may automatically add a tip or service charge to the bill rather than leaving it optional, like an 18% gratuity, but it must go to the worker.

“In addition to clarifying existing rules related to bona fide service charges, this change ensures an appropriate balance between consumer and worker protection by allowing a charge for a mandatory gratuity for restaurant employees under limited circumstances while maintaining the requirement that such a charge be conspicuously disclosed to the consumer,” the amended law reads.