Surcharges are sometimes applied by certain businesses to reflect temporary price increases due to temporary economic conditions rather than reprice their products or services temporarily. We are all familiar with fuel surcharges.
Normal business costs are just typically embedded in the price of the service or product. In the case of a restaurant, the cost of the meal.
It is political grandstanding by some restaurants. They may be hoping to spur anger from customers for their political goals (sign of protest).
Bottom line, it is spurring anger from customers alright.... But the anger is targeted at the restaurants more than anything else.
Some of the restaurants that did it, ended up back peddled quickly as they began losing business from irate customers because of the surcharge.
Why are those customers angry? Various reasons. Some recognize it for what it is. There are probably as many angry on each side of the political boundary. Some because they do not like the law, others because they know the restaurant is attempting to manipulate them.
Still, quite a number surmise... If you are going to charge me more, I will go somewhere where there is no surcharge.
Most large businesses are saavy enough to avoid that sort controversy out of fear of losing business permanently. They would consider it to be a public relations nightmare. Bottom line; Nothing to gain, but will probably lose some customers permanently that feel strongly about it!
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