Newberry restaurant’s 16% service charge sparks customer debate

NEWBERRY, FL. — A 16% service charge at a Newberry restaurant has drawn mixed reactions from customers, with some saying the fee was not disclosed clearly enough before their meal.

Brick & Copper has faced a divided community response since opening over the charge, which the owner says is listed on the menu and used to compensate servers and kitchen staff.

One customer, Jean Anderson, said she was caught off guard by the fee.

“At first I was speechless, which is a miracle for me. Then I was furious. And I looked at them and I said, you know, I’m not on a cruise ship. I said, they don’t even charge you this much on a cruise ship. And I told them right outright, it was ridiculous,” Anderson said.

Anderson said she believes the charge should have been more clearly disclosed before her meal.

Owner James Parris said the charge mirrors a common industry practice and is applied to ensure fair compensation across the entire staff.

“If you had a party of six or eight or more, 20% gratuity is just automatic. Why do you think restaurants did that? They did it because people get those kinds of bills and they don’t want to leave a gratuity of the percentage size. And so that’s all this is,” Parris said.

Parris also said wait staff members are paid above minimum wage.

Brick & Copper said it plans to release a public breakdown by the end of the month showing how the service charge is distributed.

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