Italian restaurant chain Romano's Macaroni Grill is being sued in federal court for adding a $2 'temporary inflation fee' to its checks.
Brandee Faria, a Hawaii-based consumer attorney, filed a class action suit against the Denver-based eatery arguing its inflation fee is tacked on to customer's checks in a deceptive manner — hiding the fee between orders.
Restaurateurs have said they have had to raise prices as inflation continues to rise — hitting a 40-year high of 6.6 percent last month — forcing them to pay more for their ingredients and delivery costs.
But some restaurants, like Macaroni Grill, which operates 41 franchises throughout the country, have opted to add a surcharge rather than increase their menu prices.
Doing so, Faria argues, distorts the true costs of a meal, providing it with an 'unfair advantage' over its competitors.
She is now seeking monetary damages, restitution and injunctive and declaratory relief of an unspecified amount in Hawaii Federal Court.





Romano's Macaroni Grill operates 41 franchises throughout the United States






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In the lawsuit, filed back in June, Faria claims consumers are not made aware of the 'temporary inflation fee' until they receive the check at the end of the meal.
She writes that 'reasonable consumers' understand that the prices listed on a menu 'are the true and complete prices for the food items, exclusive of government-imposed taxes and discounts that a customer may be eligible for.'
It is only when they get the check, Faria asserts, that the $2 fee is revealed to the customer. 
Those charges are not even listed near the bottom of the check, where most people look first, she told , which she said 'makes it even more egregious and surreptitious.'
'By burying the Temporary Inflation Fee between orders of eggplant parmesan and spinach artichoke dip, consumers are misled into believing the fee is part of their order,' Faria wrote in the lawsuit.







Underlying inflation in the United States has now hit a four-decade high, according The Commerce Department's latest consumer price index

But Macaroni Grill is not the only restaurant to add hidden fees amid record inflation.
A diner in Coral Springs, Florida, came under fire over the summer after a customer posted a photo of her receipt to Facebook which included an 8 percent fee for 'temporary inflation,' according to the [url=]
And the  previously reported that fees for a 'noncash adjustment,' 'fuel surcharge' or even 'kitchen appreciation' have appeared on restaurant bills throughout the country.
In fact, the number of restaurants adding service fees increased by 36.4 percent from April 2021 through April 2022, the Journal reports, as the average price of supplies for restaurant operations increased by 17.5 percent.
Underlying inflation in the United States has now hit a four-decade high, according The Commerce Department's latest [url=/news/consumer-price-index/index.html]consumer price index.
It showed that core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose 6.6 percent in September from a year ago.
That is the largest annual gain since August 1982, signaling that high prices are spreading broadly through the economy despite the Federal Reserve's efforts to battle inflation with interest rate hikes.
Meanwhile, total US inflation, including food and energy, was up 8.2 percent from a year ago, a figure that remains distressingly high, but which marked another decrease from the recent peak of 9.1 percent reached in June. 
The decline in total inflation was mostly due to falling global energy prices, which have since begun to rise once again. 





In a recent interview ahead of the midterm elections, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Democrats have to deflect from the issue of inflation.

Biden responded to the report by acknowledging that prices remain 'too high,' but argued his administration is making progress against inflation and even claimed that battling high costs was a 'key reason' he ran for president. 
'Today's report shows some progress in the fight against higher prices, even as we have more work to do,' said Biden in a statement.
'But even with this progress, prices are still too high. If you have any thoughts pertaining to in which and how to use ร้านบีบีกัน, you can make contact with us at the internet site. Fighting the global inflation that is affecting countries around the world and working families here at home is my top priority.'
However, in a recent interview ahead of the midterm elections, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Democrats have to deflect from the issue of inflation.
'When I hear people talk about inflation...we have to change that subject,' she said. 'Inflation is a global phenomenon.'



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