by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman
February 28, 2024
A customer at an Atlanta restaurant is calling out the establishment for lacking transparency on its surprise charges.
A restaurant is Metro Atlanta is being called out for its surprise charges that left a customer feeling swindled. Katch Kitchen and Cocktails is feeling the heat for lacking transparency on the added fees.
Dramaine Smith noticed a charge while checking his bill at the restaurant. He spoke of his confusion about the untraditional fees with 11Alive.
“We went out to Katch, it’s a restaurant around the corner from my office, in Tucker,” explained Smith, who works as an insurance broker and tax franchise consultant.
“I looked at the receipt, and there was a band fee and entertainment band fee, and I was like, that’s a little weird.”
The bill listed $20 more than what Smith anticipated paying, leading him to speak with staff about the additional charge he was unaware of.
A spokesperson for Katch released a statement to the news outlet, disclosing that the $10 per person charge is standard when live performances are held at the Atlanta food spot. The charge is meant to subsidize the costs to host entertainment, noting that it is a common practice in the industry. As the food industry, especially for Black restauranteurs, is also grappling with a fluctuating economy and financial hurdles, splitting these costs with customers is a solution to elevate their business.
For Smith, he does not understand why customers have to foot the bill for something they did not expect or ask for and urges restaurants to be more transparent about the matter.
“Why do I have to pay for the entertainment in a restaurant where y’all can just book the band upfront and we just enjoy it?” expressed Smith.
“It’d be a pleasant surprise when you walk in instead of a charge or a fee.”
Smith says the issue is more-so with the restaurants seemingly hiding charges until its time to pay. Katch remains adamant that they inform all customers of additional fees upon making a reservation which Smith did not have prior to sitting down. However, he still believes that the fear of charges popping up only takes away from customers’ experience.
“You’re looking to have fun. So you don’t want to have to be constantly looking for extra fees to be on your receipt.”
