Earls Kitchen Diner Questions Hidden 3% Admin Fee

A diner at an Earls Kitchen and Bar location in Denver says he was surprised by a 3% "admin fee" added to his check, a charge he had not agreed to when he ordered, according to a receipt he posted on Reddit and reported by the New York Post.

What was on the receipt?

The itemized bill listed a deluxe burger at $24.75 and an order of truffle fries at $3.00, the New York Post reported. Standard sales tax applied on top of those items. Then came a line most diners do not expect: a 3% "admin fee," added before any tip was calculated. The final tab came to $30.86 before gratuity, according to the receipt.

Why did the diner react the way he did?

The customer posted the photo on Reddit with a pointed question. "What the hell is even an 'Admin Fee'?" he wrote, according to the Post. "Can a guy even enjoy a burger without being harassed and extorted in this God-forsaken place? This pissed me off… No tip for you!"

"Can a guy even enjoy a burger without being harassed and extorted in this God-forsaken place?"

He said he would not be leaving a tip on top of the fee.

How big is Earls Kitchen and Bar?

Earls Kitchen and Bar describes itself as an "upscale casual" chain. It operates more than 67 locations across the United States and Canada, according to the Post. That scale means the admin fee policy, if applied chain-wide, could affect a large number of diners who may not notice the charge until they look closely at an itemized bill.

How are other diners responding?

The Reddit post drew a wave of comments from users frustrated by rising restaurant costs and fees that are not always disclosed on the menu, the Post reported. Several commenters said they would subtract any mandated admin fee from the tip they leave a server. "I'm going to charge a customer fee next time I eat out," one commenter wrote, according to the Post. Another wrote, "Looks like the admin is the tip. There you go, have your 3%, not getting more."

What changes for diners checking their bill?

The episode is a reminder to read a restaurant check line by line before paying, particularly at chains that add service or admin charges separate from tax and tip. Diners who want to avoid being surprised can ask their server, before ordering, whether any mandatory fee applies beyond the menu price. The New York Post's report does not indicate whether Earls Kitchen and Bar has commented publicly on the fee or on the Reddit post.

For now, the receipt from the Denver location is circulating as an example of how a small percentage charge, 3% in this case, can change the math on a simple order of a burger and fries once tax, fee, and eventual tip are added together.

Quotags is A quote-card app first shipped in 2013. Version 2.0 is returning soon — do not install an old binary.