As “tipflation” and “tip fatigue” have made customers weary of adding extra money to their bills, many restaurants have found new ways to charge more.
For example, one diner reported that their bill contained two different lines for tips, though one was intended as a charity donation. Another claimed that they were charged a “kitchen service fee” with their order.
Charges like the latter aren’t uncommon in the industry. Many customers and employees alike complain about their rising restaurant bills due to service fees.
However, these fees are generally calculated as a percentage of a total order. Now, a woman on TikTok has gone viral after claiming she faced a different kind of fee. She says there was an additional charge for having a bartender shake her cocktail.
Why did this woman’s bill end up being $530?
In a video with over 1.3 million views, TikTok user @blondeswhoeat claims that she had an experience at a restaurant that left her bewildered—and with a significant charge on her credit card bill.
According to the TikToker, she recently went to a restaurant in which she ordered drinks and food. She was shocked when the bill arrived.
“We got the bill, and I knew in my head that we only got like $150 worth of food, which was great,” she starts. “So how did we get to $530?”
Upon further examination of the bill, she discovered that every cocktail that the group ordered came with an additional “prep” fee. These fees were not insignificant, either—while a Lalo Blanco skinny spicy margarita was listed at $14, “prep” was an additional $3.
“I was like, ‘What’s prep?’ And he was like, ‘Oh, it’s the shaking of the margarita,’” she states. “And I was like, ‘You charge $3 to shake the margarita?’”
As the prices of items increased, so too did their prep fees. For example, a $32 drink had a prep fee of $13, and another drink listed at $28 eventually came to $75 with the cost of making it a double and additional prep fees.
“$530, and $400 of that was alcohol,” she summarizes. “Pretty bad, right?”
What restaurant did this?
The TikToker does not name the restaurant that added these charges to the bill. However, that did not stop commenters from speculating.
Many commenters claimed that MAR Y SOL Cocina Latina was the potential culprit. However, this appears incorrect, and the restaurant has since responded on Instagram saying that they do not make such charges.
“We don’t add any additional prep fees for our cocktails,” the restaurant wrote in a comment.
The restaurant also made another post joking about the situation, sharing a picture of one of their bartenders. They added in the caption, “No extra fees were charged in the shaking of this cocktail.”
Others suggested eateries like Terilli’s, The Mexican, and Taquero, but details about these restaurants do not line up with the specifics of the TikToker’s story.
Additionally, several commenters from the Dallas area noted that they’ve never heard of such a charge being levied on customers, with a few speculating as to whether the story is true. However, the video shows the total on the receipt, which is indeed over $500, and charges for “prep” are visible on the bill.
As of the time of writing, it is unclear which Dallas restaurant the TikToker is referring to. The Daily Dot reached out for comment via email and Instagram direct message.
@blondeswhoeat Charging extra to “prep” aka SHAKE your drink is WILD! Or better yet.. a $70 margarita is wild! Has anyone ever seen this before? #dallas #dallasrestaurants #dallasfoodie #fypage ♬ original sound – Blondeswhoeat
Commenters share their thoughts
In the comments section, users expressed disbelief at the contents of the video.
“They might as well charge extra for using the plates and glasses the food & drinks are served on/in,” a user wrote.
“High-end, Luxury Cocktail bar owner here. There is NO reason to charge for prep. I’ve made a $75 drink once and it was a higher-end tequila as a side car with a normal cocktail. Absolutely not,” said another.
“I would 100 percent dispute those charges. Those up charges sound illegal if they are not in writing on the menu,” shared a third.
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