California banned junk fees. Then the legislature changed its mind and passed a carve-out for restaurants. We’re trying to stop it, and we need your help.
Why should we ban surcharges?
Mandatory surcharges are fundamentally misleading: they make prices look lower than they actually are and make you do a multiplication problem to find out what you need to pay.
Why now?
In October 2023, SB 478, an update to the Consumers Legal Remedies Act, was signed into law. This banned "drip pricing" (a rising trend in which companies will shift some cost from the price of items into mandatory fees) in California, effective July 1, 2024. But then, in June 2024 — less than a month before the surcharge ban was set to take effect — legislators introduced SB 1524, a last-minute attempt to carve out an exception for restaurants and bars to continue to engage in drip pricing. This measure is intended to close the SB 1524 loophole within San Francisco. SB 1524 has (as of June 27, 2024) passed both houses of the state legislature unanimously.
How do I help?
- Join our email list.
- Contact your state legislators and tell them that you oppose restaurant junk fees.
- Contact the Governor and tell him you oppose SB 1524.
- Contact your Supervisor and tell them that you support a city ordinance to ban restaurant surcharges.
Can I donate?
Soon! We are still working to create and register the proper legal entity to accept donations. Make sure to subscribe to the mailing list if you are interested in donating; we will definitely bump this there. These donations will fund things like hosting this website, printing costs, professional services to ensure compliance with relevant election and campaign-finance laws, and (if budget allows) advertisements and paid signature gathering.
Wasn’t SB 1524 a state bill? Why is this not a statewide initiative or referendum?
SB 1524 would apply to California. This initiative only fills the loophole in SF because… it's easier. A statewide petition would require about 550,000 signatures to qualify while a local one only requires about 10,000 signatures.
What evil political monolith PAC is funding this?
We’re just like… some guys, you know. That said, if you’re an evil political monolith PAC and want to help us for some reason, please get in touch!
Will this raise prices?
This will require prices include fees we are already paying. The price you see on the menu might go up, but without the added fees, the prices we'll pay at the end of the night stay virtually the same.
Will this lower prices? If so, will these cuts hurt workers?
No. This does not affect the business constraints in which restaurants operate: they still will be required to provide the same benefits to their workers that are guaranteed by current law.
I like knowing that my money is supporting workers. Can businesses still include this information?
Yes. This ordinance only affects the advertised or listed prices of items. If the restaurant wants to put extra information on the receipt, they are still free to do so. Consider an example: a current bill may be formatted as- $100 food items
- $5 SF Mandate Surcharge
- Subtotal: $105
- Taxes: $9.06
- Total: $114.06
- $105 food items
- Subtotal: $105
- Taxes: $9.06
- Total: $114.06
- Note: $5 from your bill went towards our employees' healthcare. Thank you!