Denny's Franchisee Imposes Surcharge For Obamacare

[spinbaby]

Had to trim the headline to a reasonable length for the subject line, the original was:

John Metz, Denny's Franchisee And Hurricane Grill & Wings Owner, Imposes Surcharge For Obamacare

From the article:

While some business owners threaten to cut workers' hours to avoid paying for their health care, a West Palm Beach, Fla., restaurant owner is going even further. John Metz said he will add a 5 percent surcharge to customers' bills to offset what he said are the increased costs of Obamacare, along with reducing his employees' hours.

"If I leave the prices the same, but say on the menu that there is a 5 percent surcharge for Obamacare, customers have two choices. They can either pay it and tip 15 or 20 percent, or if they really feel so inclined, they can reduce the amount of tip they give to the server, who is the primary beneficiary of Obamacare," Metz told The Huffington Post. "Although it may sound terrible that I'm doing this, it's the only alternative. I've got to pass the cost on to the consumer."

Metz is the franchisor of Hurricane Grill & Wings, which has 48 locations, five of which are corporate owned, and president and owner of RREMC Restaurants, which runs approximately 40 Denny's and several Dairy Queen locations. He planned to use the 5 percent surcharge tactic in all his restaurants starting in January 2014, when Obamacare is fully implemented.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/13/john-metz-hurricane-grill-wings-dennys_n_2122412.html

[Live and Learn]

1. Or you could take it out of profits and CEO pay... Funny how they always forget those.

But seriously what is 5% of the price of a grand slam anyway, 25 cents? Hey asshats, I am willing to pay an extra 25 cents to make sure your employees get health care, since you aren't.

[Confusious]

2. Fucking ass

"I can't be asked to pony up a dime for my employee's well being"

Fucking dick.

[Chunk]

3. Papa Johns said 14 cents for healthcare,

just add a line on the dennys check, +14 cents so your waitress is not carrying clamidia.

[hobbit709]

4. Or you can walk out of the place and take your business elsewhere.

[cali]

5. May Mr. Metz' business crash and burn.

[Buns_of_Fire]

6. ACA is a business owner's new justification for acting like a dick.

I heard someone (maybe Jon Stewart?) say that. It's true, though. The only difference now is that greedy SOBs like Metz (and Schnatter) have something concrete to hang any price increase on.

Do these asscarrots really think anyone really cares about a 5% (or .14) increase so much that they need someone to blame it on? Up until now, it was just shrugged off as "hey, it costs more now for such-and-such" and customers didn't give it any thought (if they even noticed -- hey, the price is written right on the menu).

If 5% of the tab (or .14 per pizza) ever made that much of a difference to me, I probably wouldn't have been eating there in the first place.

[plcdude]

9. You are of course

assuming that your business will be hit hard by tax increases. It depends on a lot of factors like the size of your business and whether congress (not Obama) chooses not to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff come January. It also depends on how long that situation will continue until congress rectifies the situation. I would like to also understand what you are referring to as entitlements. Can't buy a new car, can't go on a vacation, stopped buying shoes are also dependent upon what sort of car you are buying, where you are vacationing, and the price of shoes. Do you not think that the people that work for you have the right to adequate health care?

[krispos42]

14. So, really, you could have laid off this employee way before the insurance jump

Obviously, she was unnecessary.

But you didn't. So then, you're saying your not able to manage your company in an efficient manner.

[Spazito]

16. Uh huh

Wow, your post contains all the scary stuff the rabid repubs tried to sell to the public and......FAILED.

[Jazzgirl]

18. That's why I alerted on it.

Reads like bull to me. I might be wrong and won't be surprised if it stays though.

[HangOnKids]

20. But His Wife Isn't Buying Shoes!

The HORROR!

[MineralMan]

23. Nice. Signed up just to say that, did you?

Well, thanks. We've heard that kind of stuff before. Seeya.

[Generic Other]

8. I predict a bankruptcy in his future

and maybe a Bain takeover.

[Ganja Ninja]

10. So if I'm spending $10 on a meal I'll pay a 50 cent surcharge to

help make sure a sick employee(s) isn't preparing or handling my food. OK whatever.

[ieoeja]

25. "Whatever" was my reaction as well. 5% more eating out is nothing compared to the tax Americans ...

... are willing to pay for single payer health care. And let him put it on the menus. That will just drive home the need for that single payer health care.

70% of Americans said they were willing to pay more taxes for universal health care.

GOP's response: "now you are going to have to pay more for universal health care. Ha!"

Americans' reply: "um, didn't we just say, er, nevermind."

Once again, the GOP just doesn't get it.

[Dalai_1]

11. As if Denny's

has a stellar record with customers and could care less about Public
Relations!

[krispos42]

12. Will he put the profit percentage on his prices?

Probably not.

[CakeGrrl]

13. One by one exposing their true motives

Screw the workers and customers to make sure shareholders keep as much profit as possible.

Keep going, jerks. Your less greedy competition will welcome the new business.

[slackmaster]

15. If he needs to raise prices in order to stay in business, he should just raise prices

He's creating needless drama in order to get attention.

[DawgHouse]

37. Yes, and he should get to work on supporting Universal Healthcare, ASAP

[bluethruandthru]

17. Wait, he says he's going to cut full-time workers hours AND add an "obamacare" surcharge??

If he cuts full time workers to part time...he doesn't have to provide coverage...so how exactly is Obamacare costing him anything??

[superpatriotman]

28. It won't cost a thing

As a matter of fact, he'll make more money.

If everyone in America is going to be a part time worker, will unemployment go down?

[Kaleva]

19. I'm fine with this as I can't afford to eat out anyways.

It's only going to affect those who have the money to spare to eat out.

[MineralMan]

21. This moron is missing one option his customers may use:

Not coming to his fucking restaurants.

Most people will not see the notice on the menu about the surcharge. They'll see it on the bill, and then say, "WFT?" Most people don't like surcharges, whatever the reason for them. There are 10 more restaurants on the same street. Next time, they'll go to one of the other ones.

Way to kill your business, dude!

[hughee99]

22. Other than being a dick about it, I don't see the issue here.

We want to provide people with health care. For a business, it's just part of doing business, and they're going to pass the cost on to the customer. Customers are going to pay for it.

[tkmorris]

26. Being a dick about it IS the issue

If he wanted to he could list prices on the menus which reflected absolutely nothing except the cost of putting that food on the table, then list as surcharges everyitem that increases that bottom line cost, up to and including the profits he takes from the restaurant and what that pays for (his new boat, the house in the Hamptons, whatever). The fact that he wants to list just this one singular item is nothing more than an attempt to demonize Obamacare.

You don't see the issue with that? Seriously?

[hughee99]

29. I see the issue with that, which is why I said "OTHER THAN BEING A DICK ABOUT IT."

There are suggestions on this (and similar threads) that the company shouldn't raise prices, it should come out of CEO pay or profit margin, but always strikes me as a little ridiculous.

Personally, I'm all for a restaurant breaking down it's entire cost structure on the menus.

How much of my bill is going to make sure the employees have health care, how much is going to the CEO, how much is going to the CEO's sexual harassment lawsuit settlements, etc...

[tkmorris]

33. I think I see what you're getting at

I didn't get your perspective in that first post.

[bhikkhu]

24. I'd pay 5% more anywhere, if it meant the employees had healthcare and decent wages

...and I'd avoid a place like the plague if I knew the employer was paying poverty-level wages on purpose, to make sure his employees were dependent on government assistance.

[ChazII]

39. Me, too

and for the same reasons you cited.

[suffragette]

27. 3rd choice - Patronize establishments that care about the health of workers and customers

Unhealthy food handlers can lead to ill customers.

[PD Turk]

30. It really is like a drug for some of them

The accumulation of money, it's an addiction with them. They remind me of the classic old stereotype you see in movie and tv with the drunk sitting at the bar when the bartender cuts him off . "Hey buddy, don't you think you've had enough?" and the drunk... "I'll tell you when I've had enough!!" That's what these assholes remind me of, it's all about them getting more and more and they don't care who they hurt to get it, their employees, their communities, their country. It just doesn't matter to them.

I think it's time for an intervention.

[L0oniX]

31. "I make enough money. I don't need those customers who won't pay more."

What a huge asshole!

[Initech]

32. What an asshole!!!!

"Yeah I can't be expected to provide insurance for my employees because it costs too much."

Yeah go back to your castles you greedy pieces of shit!!!

[sarcasmo]

34. All the nasty chains spouting off, need to taste the slop they serve before spouting off.

[Incitatus]

35. That's a dumb move. He just going to lose business for doing that.

If he has to raise prices, then he has to raise prices. Just do it. Printing on the menu that you are paying %5 more for Obamacare will turn some people away. He cares more about being stubborn and trying to make a point than making money. Obamacare is here to stay, assholes. Deal with it.

[ThunderRoad]

36. SF has a "Healthy Surcharge"

I don't think this is that big of a deal. The last time I ate out in SF I noticed a charge on my bill. It said "Health Surcharge" or something like that. I asked my brother, who lives in SF, what that meant. He said SF passed a law that requires businesses of a certain size to provide health care for their employees and the restaurants pass the cost on to their customers. Just like Denny's is doing, I guess. I'll pay it.

[kydo]

38. Well there are plenty of local mom and pop restaurants

that make awesome breakfast foods not to mention lunch and dinner for way cheaper then denny's. Guess I will just take my money else where when I go out. No problem here.

I used to be a manger at several different fast food and restaurants, one was Taco Bell. For fast tex mex its average and even after working there I still would eat there until they had that issue with the mexicans and tomatoes. I boycotted them. Its my right to spend my money where I want.

I have no problem not spending my or anyone else's money at places like dennys, pappa johns, olive garden, walmart and any other establishment that pisses me off. I also have no problem telling others about the crappy business practices by said establishments when asked. Oh the conversation would probably go like this:
"Hey lets go get breakfast at denny's I'm buying." My reply would then be "Nay lets go to ihop instead, denny's is run by raciest and cheap skates, they won't even pay for health care for their workers plus the service is terrible and the food really isn't that great well other then the bacon shake but I can get that at ihop just order side of bacon and a shake and put the bacon on myself."

Sadly I actually do stay firm in my boycotts. I remember when Taco Bell finally stop the tomato thing my daughter comes running in, "Mom we can eat at Taco Bell again they came to an agreement about that thing you keep mumbling about." She was like 8 I think when that happened, shes 23 now. And still to this day she will ask sometimes "are we boycotting such and such or is it ok to go there?"