Republique restaurant in Los Angeles offers voluntary 3% surcharge for healthcare

[steve2470]

http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/27/news/economy/obamacare-restaurants/

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, an upscale restaurant is also asking guests to pony up for its employee health care costs.

Since it opened in November, Republique's tab comes with an optional 3% surcharge that allows it to employ all of its 80 workers full-time and provide them with health insurance. The fee is explained in a sign and on the menu, and servers explain it to diners without prompting.

The surcharge is not related to Obamacare, a restaurant spokeswoman said. The eatery is not subject to the employer mandate until 2016 because it has fewer than 100 workers, but it already offers coverage to its staff.

How are customers reacting to the fee? So far, most people are paying it, she said.

*end*

I found this interesting and laudable that people are paying it.

[frazzled]

1. I don't like the idea

They should either raise prices or reconsider their business model to cover their employees. But relying on the "kindness of strangers" is not the way to promote universal health care in this country. We pay taxes to the government, not to individual businesses, to do these things that benefit us all.

What's next? Asking for voluntary contributions for the ushers at movie theaters or cashiers at grocery stores? Are these businesses really not making enough money to contribute to their employees' health plans?

To me, this still sounds like an anti-ACA ploy.

[steve2470]

2. I would agree about raising prices

Hopefully they will just raise their prices 3% (or something reasonable) and then say "we're proud to announce that everyone here has adequate healthcare" or something similar. Maybe their thinking is that they're testing a price rise ? I can't see an anti-ACA intent, but maybe I'm being naive.