LOS ANGELES (NewsNation) — Los Angeles residents are used to seeing gratuity and even health care fees on their restaurant bill, but a downtown rooftop eatery is now charging a security fee.
Considered an essential experience in rooftop dining, diners at Perch — which is on the 15th floor of the Pershing Square Building at Hill and 5th streets — may soon notice the 4.5% surcharge on their receipt.
“In L.A., it’s like the gratuity law, so all these extra fees on DoorDash, it’s kind of normal,” Simone Dill, who dined at Perch, Samantha Cortese said.
“Us paying their security fee is crazy if you think about it,” said Earnest Traylor.
“Are we actually paying for food or are we paying the bills to keep the business running?” Dill added.
Perch did not respond to a request for comment, but a statement on the restaurant’s website reads:
“A 4.5% security service charge is added to all guest checks for the cost of security personnel. As Perch is located on several levels on top of a building, it requires more security personnel than a restaurant on a ground floor.”
It continued to say the charge should not be considered a tip.
