A restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia has gone viral after adding a health insurance fee to patrons’ bills. According to the Daily Mail, the establishment is now receiving threats via social media.
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More Details Regarding The Atlanta Restaurant & Why It Went Viral
On Thursday, January 4, an account with the handle @GAFollowers took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share a photo of a receipt. The bill was from a family-owned fusion restaurant called JenChan’s.
Furthermore, the receipt showed a subtotal charge of $50.50 with a $4.49 sales tax charge. However, it also included an additional fee — a “Health Insurance” charge of $2.02.
The bottom of the receipt featured a note explaining that the health insurance charge is calculated at four percent of the patrons’ subtotal. Additionally, the text explained why the establishment had employed the additional charge.
“The small percentage does not cover everything but it does allow us to offer ALL of our full time employees health insurance,” the text read. “Our industry is an incredibly difficult one to survive in, the small charge affords our staff the ability to go to the doctor for mental or physical ailments they may face. Thank you for your understanding.”
There's a restaurant that charges a 'health insurance' fee. 😒 pic.twitter.com/g3w3jyS0Y3
— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) January 4, 2024
Social Media Reacts
Over the past five days, the tweet has received over 467,000 views and prompted many mixed responses from social media users.
I dig it. They could simply charge more but that gets lost in the accounting. Good for this restaurant, especially since that's not normal industry practice.
— JHO.com (@JHOcompany) January 5, 2024
This is ghetto
— Latrell Phillips (@TrizzeTrell) January 4, 2024
I'm going to create a sign that says everything we pay for before you get your food." pic.twitter.com/Lw6s6qfFC0
— Apostle Natalie Young (@ApostleNatalie) January 5, 2024
JenChan’s is a small business that made the decision to be transparent about a price increase to make sure their workers can assess healthcare. I am so grateful for them and their contributions to this community. I hope more restaurants do the same! https://t.co/hpxQgOnBCZ
— Bentley Hudgins (@bentleyforus) January 5, 2024
The Restaurant’s Health Insurance Charge Is Reportedly Optional
As X users shared their reactions, one with the handle @desota shared that the health insurance charge should be optional for patrons.Â
I have mixed feelings about this 'health insurance fee'… on the one hand it is admirable to provide this to your employees… but on the other hand, maybe this should be an optional fee for customers to pay… just sayin'… -DW
— DeSota Wilson (@desota) January 5, 2024
Then, a second X user, @xKALeeds, hopped in to confirm that the health insurance fee is optional.
it actually is optional or charge can be taken off. it's written on their menu in BOLD
— kimberly ann (@xKALeeds) January 5, 2024
According to Daily Mail, the X user’s claim is correct. JenChan’s reportedly disclosed the optional charge on its menu, outside the establishment, and on the receipt — presumably in a location not pictured in the above viral photo.
“On your receipt, you will notice 4% health insurance we implemented after our premiums more than tripled last year…
Please know that we will be more than happy to remove this for you without hesitation,” the restaurant’s disclosure message reportedly reads.
The outlet adds that outside of the commentary the restaurant has sparked on X, they’ve also received threats from patrons on Facebook.
“I’ve never seen a family that needs to be beaten up more; make that healthcare come in handy,” one person allegedly wrote on the company’s Facebook page, per Daily Mail.
However, the restaurant’s owner, Emily Chan, is committed to drawing attention to the “huge crisis going on with healthcare.”
“We feel like there’s a pretty huge crisis going on with health insurance. No one can afford it. Nothing has worked,” she explained. “
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.”
According to Fox 10 News, Chan is “not changing a thing” despite the backlash.
“Not changing a thing. The only thing I would change is if Congress does something, then I can just take that line item off completely and not even worry about it,” she said.
