Rye in Dallas Adds Surcharge to Pay for Worker Healthcare | Eater Dallas

"I learned that Rye has attached a 3 percent line item to customer bills to partially fund a comprehensive employee benefits package that is detailed on the restaurants’ websites. The package pays 50 percent of employee health insurance (including dental and vision), offers access to group plans for partners and beneficiaries, provides family leave (parental leave, caring for a sick loved one, and bereavement), up to 15 paid days off, professional development programs with 50 percent reimbursement for certifications, a 50 percent employee dining discount, and company outings. All employees now make a minimum of $15 per hour, and the plan was designed to cover staff who work at least 36 hours a week — about 25 employees — explicitly including line cooks and back-of-house team members who don’t supplement income with tips. Diners are asked to pay the transparent 3 percent surcharge (they can opt out; it’s $3 on a $100 bill as an example), front-of-house staff are being prepped to explain it, and owner Tanner Agar frames it as a choice to support workers rather than burying costs in higher prices. Rye’s original McKinney location burned down in August and the team is fundraising to reopen (they held a “Fyre Fest” dinner in October); despite a wave of negative Google and Yelp reviews after the announcement, the restaurant is flagging those reviews and is courting guests who believe in taking care of the people who serve them." - Courtney E. Smith