Local Colorado Restaurant Under Fire For New Added Fee

A local Colorado restaurant has gained some unwanted (or maybe wanted) attention after implementing a new fee each customer must pay when settling their tab. Are the added fees getting out of control?

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New Added Fee At Colorado Restaurant Has People Upset

In 2023, we're pretty "fee happy," not just around Colorado but around the country in general. You may not even notice, but many businesses, especially smaller local businesses, are adding extra fees to each transaction to help cover rising costs.

The cost of just about everything, in general, is already super overpriced, then you add on the extra fees and the amount of tip requests these days, and it's not even worth going out sometimes.

Tipping The Gas Pumps In Colorado?

Have you seen the latest crazy tip request? Certain gas stations have options at the pumps requesting tips for the staff inside, literally doing nothing to help you.

Seriously? What world are we even living in?

The fee we're discussing today, though, is called a "Staff Benefits Charge," which tacks on an extra .50-ish per $10 spent.

While $2 on a $40 tab isn't unreasonable, many customers don't seem to think this fee, helping them support their employee's PTO, should be their problem.

What Is Proto's Pizzeria In Colorado's "Staff Benefits" Fee?

Explaining the fee on the bottom of its receipts from Proto's Pizzeria Napoletana, which has multiple locations around Colorado, is a note that says, "The small added fee will go to ensure that we as a company can support the PTO that will be available to all staff."

The reaction to this added fee from those in one particular Facebook Group is pretty split.

These days, local businesses need to do what they need to do, but again, where do we draw the line? Me, I'm happy to pay this small fee to support a great local staff, if indeed this money is going to help them out.

Proto's in Longmont, Colorado, isn't the only local business adding these types of fees, but this is the one that has gotten the most attention recently. Have you seen these types of fees at other neat local places? Tell us about it on our app.