Atlanta Restaurant Faces Backlash For Adding Extra Health Insurance Fee On Customers’ Bills [Video]

An Atlanta restaurant is under scrutiny for adding an unfamiliar fee to its customers’ bills.

JenChan’s Pizza and Chinese, located in Cabbagetown, Georgia, faced backlash on social media when a customer highlighted the restaurant’s 4% fee for employees’ health insurance listed on the bill. The customer shared a photo of the bill on Reddit last month, revealing an additional $2.02 charge at the bottom.

Owner Emily Chan mentioned that this practice has been implemented for a year and a half.

“We feel like there’s a pretty huge crisis going on with health insurance. No one can afford it. Nothing has worked,” Chan said. “We just felt like if we put it as a line item, then it would highlight that there’s an issue here and we need to pay attention to it.”

Chan opened the restaurant just six months prior to the onset of the pandemic and offered health insurance coverage to full-time employees putting in more than 35 hours per week. Additionally, Chan clarified that she incorporated the additional four percent message on all menus and receipts to maintain transparency regarding the charges and draw attention to the ongoing health insurance crisis.

“On your receipt, you will notice 4% health insurance we implemented after our premiums more than tripled last year,” the message read. “Thank you for being a part of our effort to ensure our staff can seek care for whatever mental or physical ailments they may face. We have appreciated all of the positive feedback from you, thank you! Please know that we will be more than happy to remove this for you without hesitation.”

Nevertheless, Chan says that she has no plans to make any changes to the additional charge, adding optimism that this approach might prompt positive transformation within the industry.