To the editor: I'm curious to know how much impoverished restaurant owners paid to lobby their state officials to remove protections for the public in pursuit of the almighty dollar.
If a restaurant offers a $30 menu item with no hidden charges, or a $25 menu item and then adds a $5 charge to the bill, I'm still paying $30 for my meal. Why do restaurant owners feel it's necessary to cheat their customers to stay in business?
I recently ate at a restaurant that charged a 3% commission on the bill. No one mentioned it, not even the waiter who brought the bill. It was only $3, but I asked them to take it off the bill because they never told me. And I won't eat there again. There are too many honest restaurateurs who don't charge that commission.
How will you communicate this to your customers? What font size can the signs be? Does it depend on the size of the establishments' political donations?
I'm not opposed to included fees. I booked a hotel room that had a $27 resort fee, but that was included in the total price shown. Charge me whatever you want, just let me know ahead of time so I can make the right decision. Why don't restaurant owners get that?
Keith Burrus, Irving
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To the editor: A source in the July 1 story about restaurant rates said they check prices online before deciding on a restaurant.
In my experience, this is not possible, as I find that most online menu prices are outdated. Many are years old. Restaurants should be required to post updated prices.
Jerry Rutledge, Palm Springs
