Los Angeles restaurant draws criticism for 5% 'healthcare' charge

LOS ANGELES - A restaurant in Los Angeles' Sherman Oaks neighborhood is drawing criticism after a TikTok video going viral apparently shows an "employee healthcare" charge on a guest receipt.

Ashley Nicole posted the TikTok video saying she and a friend decided to have dinner at Osteria La Buca on Ventura Boulevard and were surprised to see an extra 5% charge tacked onto their bills at the end of their meal.

"The weirdest thing just happened to me. We enjoy our meal, we get the check, we pay for our check, and as we are like signing for the tip and stuff, we notice something," Nicole said. "Here is the receipt and if you notice down here towards the bottom there is a 4-dollar-and-75-cent charge for ‘employee health,’ do you see that? - a 5% charge for employee health."

Nicole said she was unsure of exactly what the charge was, so she called Osteria La Buca to inquire and was apparently told by the hostess it was indeed employee healthcare.

"I've never heard of that before, ever, and I had to find out, is that normal? Because I've never experienced this before and it feels weird."

A scroll through the comments showed most people did not agree with the extra charge.

"Should I pay for their retirement too? I'm just going to start cooking and eating at home and I think I'm not alone," one person said.

"Oh, heck no. Sorry, but the employer should offer health care insurance, or the employee needs to figure it out. No one pays me 5% for my insurance coverage so I don't agree," another commented.

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"The owner HAS to pass along these forced increases to stay in business! However, I think it would be a better idea to attach it to the product or service because this is going to just tick customers off," another said.

"Funny that this article came up. I went to the court café in Inglewood and they charged everyone a $5 extra charge and it didn’t state why. It just stated that this does not go to the server. I’m not sure how I feel about having to pay for others healthcare, when I have to pay for my own. I have a job that takes it out of my wages," someone else chimed in.

"They should have a notice that states these charges before taking orders .So folks can decide first before Walking Out," one other comment read.

Osteria La Buca does list its values on their website, saying, "WE BELIEVE IN TRUE HOSPITALITY, HONESTY, AND INTEGRITY. EVERYTHING USED IN OUR RESTAURANT FROM FOOD TO SOAP TO OIL IS GOOD FOR HUMANS TO CONSUME AND HANDLE AND DOES NOT CONTAIN ANYTHING SYNTHETIC OR MODIFIED. FROM OUR PRODUCE TO THE SOAPS USED TO WASH THE DISHES. ALL PRODUCE COMES DIRECT FROM OUR OWN PRIVATE FARM IN WEST LOS ANGELS AND REGIONAL FARMER'S MARKET. ALL PASTA IS HAND MADE EVERY DAY IN OUR PASTA ROOM, AND WE MAKE MOST OF EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN IN HOUSE, AND IF WE CANNOT MAKE IT THEN WE FIND SOMEONE WHO SHARES OUR VALUES WHO CAN. EVERYTHING WE DO HAS OUR CORE VALUES IN MIND."

FOX 11 has reached out to Osteria La Buco for comment and has not yet heard back.

It's important to note Osteria isn't the only LA restaurant charging customers an extra fee on top of their total charge.

A few even said they had similar experiences at other LA restaurants and they were able to get the charge removed simply by asking the server or manager.

A recent Reddit thread discusses this extra "service charge" and even contains a Google Doc that apparently lists the "offending restaurants." Redditors were quick to note that the problem is amplified when the money "just goes to the owners" instead of the servers.

"I’m no longer at this restaurant but bottega louie dtla/weho charges 5% on every check for "increased cost of wages and benefits" NOT ONE server i have ever worked with in the 5 years i was there received health insurance," one person said.

"I was there yesterday and one of the cashiers skipped the tip section for me when I paid. They let me know that they appreciated it but that tips didn’t go to them unless it was cash," one comment read.

Do you think restaurants should charge each customer a fee for employee healthcare on top of their total charge?

Sherman Oaks Los Angeles Food and Drink Consumer