oh I’m mad at them too but I think it’s dishonest to post prices for a meal then add a surcharge.
I see it as the most honest way to let people know that it is not just going into profits, it is laws mandating higher minimum wages and/or benefits. It lets customers know that the servers are now making a higher wage and do not need to be tipped as heavily.
It may even be handy. Instead of calculating 15% of a bill, just multiply the “surcharge” amount by 4. That will give you a 12% tip and with the 3% surcharge the restaurant is supposedly giving the servers in higher wages, the server gets the same 15% total.