What do you think I assumed. The surcharge was disclosed before you settled your tab, correct? That you tip 20-22% regardless of the quality of the service is your decision that you can change at any time, like when a surcharge is in the bill. Why 20-22% regardless, what causes it to vary?

Price increases are routine, happened before the pandemic as well as after and only lately have we seen much in the way of price decreases.

I expect that applying a surcharge to a bill and only notifying the customer after they made the purchase is illegal. You were probably notified prior to ordering, probably fine print or some small placard near the entrance.

Maybe I am old fashion, but I still consider my tipping practice as a way to get better service. If it is a bar or restaurant that I go to frequently and I recognize my bartender (I usually eat at the bar when alone) I tip very well and engage in conversation with bartender. If it is a place I rarely go, like when I am out of town or on vacation, I tip based on not so much the quality of service as by the amount of service. The more effort the server needs to make the bigger the tip. I am still skeptical about the tip being a percentage. Why should the bartender get a bigger tip for pouring $12 glass of wine than for a $7 glass of wine? Why should they get a bigger tip for a bottled beer than for a draft? That last one seems totally backward. You get me a glass of wine or a beer, you get a buck. Well, around a buck, I probably round up and add a buck.

TEK