kitchen appreciation fee

What is a Kitchen Appreciation Fee?

For the past 22 years, the health, safety, and general wellbeing of my staff has been paramount for me. It is in fact, I consider, a sacred duty as an employer to protect and foster the livelihood of those that I employ.

The current economy, the state of the hospitality industry as a whole, and the affordable housing crisis of our community have led me to come to a difficult conclusion: some of my staff, specifically those in the kitchen, cannot sustain their lives in Asheville.

We, over the last year, have responded by giving raises across the board in all back-of-house positions, as well as rolling out a substantial medical benefits package for all of our full-time employees; but it is not enough. That is why I have decided that, starting Monday, June 20th, we are adding a 3% "Kitchen Appreciation" fee to all dine-in orders at all of my restaurants.

At first, we considered responding to the increased burden in labor costs the traditional way: raising menu prices. However, we feel that this is the most transparent way, for both our guests and our staff, to see an impact on the livelihood of those that work so hard to serve our community and to deliver the quality food that Vinnie's is known for. Instead of getting lost in the "cost of doing business" as might happen with a raise in menu prices, this fee will be directly split to all hourly kitchen staff.

I know that this is not traditional, and some of our guests may balk at the extra charge on their receipt -- please know we do not take this decision lightly, but are moving forward with it because we value our hard-working kitchen team so much.

With constant gratitude,

Eric Scheffer

Owner | CEO