Latest trend in trendy restaurants: Adding surcharge to bill for staff health insurance, raises
CHICAGO - After six successful years in business, the owners of Fat Rice, a hot spot in the Logan Square dining hub, are taking a calculated risk: Starting this week, the restaurant is adding a 4 percent surcharge to all customer checks to help pay for employee health insurance and boost the wages of kitchen staff.
Fat Rice's decision is the latest in a small but growing movement among Chicago restaurants to bring health benefits to an industry notorious for not offering them, a trend advocates say is necessary if restaurants are to maintain stable workforces amid surging competition.
The decision to add a separate line item to customer checks to help fund health benefits, a method that has been tried with some success at other restaurants, came after careful consideration, the owners said.
"This is a massive risk for us," said Fat Rice
