NYC Council Members Approve Optional 10% Restaurant Surcharge Fee

To provide relief to New York City restaurants struggling during the coronavirus pandemic, City Council members voted Wednesday to approve a surcharge bill.

The legislation passed will allow owners to add a 10 percent additional fee to your tab, which has previously been prohibited. 

The fee is not mandatory and will expire after 90 days; if used, restaurants must disclose the additional charge information.

This initiative is to help restaurants struggling due to COVID-19 restrictions and indoor capacity limits.

A survey done by Yelp determined that 60 percent of restaurants shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mayor Bill de Blasio must sign the bill into law before it can go into effect.