Like many restaurants nationwide, some establishments in the DC metropolitan area have resorted to charging customers an additional service charge to dull the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Dan Simons, owner of Founding Farmers, told WTTG-TV (Channel 5) that he has temporarily had to implement a 5% fee to help pay for staff benefits and other necessary costs, even though he waives at the fee at the customer’s request.
Another restaurant owner said its new fee pays for personal protective equipment for both employees and customers, the WTTG reported.
DC’s economy was ravaged in the early stages of the pandemic, with many eateries in the center effectively hampered amid shutdowns and rigid preventive measures.
But even as coronavirus-related restrictions eased and vaccines became widely available, late summer data from the National Restaurant Association showed that the industry is not yet fully upturned, with 63% of restaurants reporting lower sales in August 2021 than in August 2019, WTTG reported .
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