Republique is a fine dining establishment located in Hancock Park, a Los Angeles neighborhood. Because of Obamacare’s mandate that businesses with 50+ employees provide heatlhcare for ALL employees, they have unveiled an Obamacare “surcharge” tax. Currently, 3% of the untaxed bill is being added to customer tabs to cover the increased cost of their employee healthcare.
According to a post by CBS, Republique owner and chef Walter Manske says that, ultimately, it is up to the customer whether to take the surcharge out of the gratuity. So far, some customers don’t mind the “tax.”
“Adding it to the tip, or taking it away from the tip is normal, and I think it’s important that everybody has healthcare within the restaurants,” customer Chris Jordan said.
Manske told CBS, “Even if this isn’t the perfect solution, it’s definitely a solution, and so far, there isn’t any other solution.”
What do you think? Could more direct care in Los Angeles be a solution?