Consumer Confidential: Should Californians pay an extra fee for their fast food? Pizza Hut thinks so

California is an expensive state for businesses — no one disputes that. One recent study found that we have higher overall business costs (wages, taxes, energy) than every other state.

I'm not here to challenge this, or to make the usual love-it-or-leave-it argument when it comes to whiny complaints from wealthy business leaders (hi, Elon!).

Rather, I want to call attention once again to the growing practice of businesses inflicting price hikes on customers without looking like they're raising prices.

A reader named Dave shared with me a screenshot of his recent online transaction with a Pizza Hut restaurant in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles. Attached to his $8.99 order for pasta and breadsticks