Restaurant adding labor fee to customers bills to combat rising costs [Video]

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC/Gray News) – A Michigan restaurant says it is adding an additional fee to customers’ checks to help with the rising cost of doing business.

Patrons at the Iron Bay Restaurant in the Marquette area will see a 4 percent labor fee on their next check.

The restaurant is calling it a “transparency fee.”

General manager and owner Andrew Hilary said the fee will help the restaurant combat rising costs.

“The entire 4 percent is going to labor fees. The goal is to increase our wages, partially to get ahead of what will happen, which is eliminate tipped wage,” Hilary said.

According to Hilary, he wants to ensure tipped employees receive a livable wage, as many new servers start at only $5 an hour, lower than the standard $10.33 minimum wage in the state because tips are included.

“Our goal is to always give someone a dollar raise if they stayed for a year, and once they are …