In the land Down Under, where the weekend is a sacred time for a cold one at the local pub, a recent incident has sparked a heated debate over the fairness of additional charges that patrons may encounter. The Sandstone Point Hotel, a popular watering hole near Brisbane, has found itself at the centre of controversy after a customer expressed dismay over a Sunday surcharge, igniting a conversation about the balance between business costs and consumer expectations.
The disgruntled pubgoer took to social media to air their grievances, sharing a receipt that detailed a 7.5 per cent Sunday surcharge on their meal, which included pork belly and a chicken bowl, totalling $66 before the extra fee. With the surcharge and an EFTPOS fee, the final bill amounted to $71.39. The customer’s frustration was echoed by others online, with comments ranging from calling the charge a ‘rip-off’ to suggesting that businesses should ‘suck it up’ and absorb the costs of opening on Sundays.
However, not everyone sees these surcharges as a ‘money grab’. Suresh Manickam, CEO of the Restaurant and Catering Association, stepped in to defend the practice, explaining that these charges are not about profiteering but rather about compensating staff fairly for working on weekends. He clarified that the surcharges are meant to cover the leave loading for staff, who are entitled to higher wages on Sundays and public holidays, as mandated by Fair Work Australia.
In the hospitality sector, casual staff receive 175% of their regular hourly wage for Sunday shifts, while full-time employees are entitled to 150%. On public holidays, casual staff are paid 250% of their standard wage, whereas full-time staff receive 225%.
The hospitality industry has long accepted practices such as corkage, cakeage, and group booking fees, and Sunday surcharges are no different. These charges help businesses cover increased wage expenses on weekends and holidays. Manickam emphasised that if a restaurant chooses to impose a surcharge, it must be clearly displayed at the time of ordering, often noted at the bottom of the menu.
The Sandstone Point Hotel is among many venues that apply these charges, with notices displayed on menus and throughout the venue in line with industry practices. While The Courier Mail reports that the hotel follows the guidelines, some customers still express surprise and frustration, suggesting the message may not always be clear.
The debate over Sunday surcharges is not new, and it often resurfaces around holiday seasons when dining out becomes more frequent. While some patrons are willing to pay a little extra to support the staff working on their days off, others feel blindsided by the additional costs.
What do you think? Have you ever been surprised by a surcharge at a restaurant or pub? Do you believe these fees are justified, or should businesses absorb the extra costs? Share your experiences and opinions in the comments below.
Also read: Caught by the surcharge: Is cash becoming too costly to use?
Sunday/Public Holiday surcharge is completely reasonable as it costs them more to open in Sunday, it is not a profiteering cash grab
Yep, we have received surprises, ranging from ” cash only + service charge, also, ” No cash – card only plus credit card charge ” also’ different businesses charge different charges for using a credit/debit cad, is it any wonder we, the public are getting p….d of by all these extra charges, so, come on Government and Banks – enough is enough,
I think that it’s fair enough, if we want to enjoy our weekends off, but expect others to be at work so we can do so, then they should be paid extra for their inconvenience, and that extra should be passed on to those of us expecting the service.
However, I do expect a notice advising the surcharge, in a place where we will see it BEFORE we order! Don’t put it next to the till so I don’t see it until I am paying for the meal.
The weekend surcharge for the extra pay for workers is OK but the trend of some restaurants to add a tip of 10% to the bill without warning is a bit rich. You can opt not to pay but why even ask for a tip. This is copying the USA and other countries who pay their staff such miserable wages they have the hide to ask their patrons to help make the staff’s wages. In Australia we have laws that ensure that workers get reasonable an hourly wage.
Of course staff are being paid more on a weekend and rightly so. All the people moaning and groaning about this is ridiculous. All I want is to have a sign outside the establishment telling me there is a surcharge and the amount of said surcharge so I can decide if I think it is reasonable. As someone else mentioned about tipping – I find it offensive for a business to expect me to tip and ask for one or try to add it onto the bill. If I have outstanding service than I may tip the actually server. If too many people pay for tipping on the bill it will become the norm so it will become accepted and hey presto another charge to the bill.