Florida Chain Stands By Its 1% Health Care Surcharge

A small chain of restaurants in Florida is sticking by its decision to implement a 1% health care surcharge to each bill. Five locations of Gator's Dockside have added the surcharge to offset the cost of providing health care to their 500 full time employees, as mandated by the the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). The director of operations tells Eyewitness News 9 in the video below: "We're definitely doing it to stay afloat. It's not political in anyway." She adds that the company will spend some $500,000 on health care, and do not expect to recoup all of that spending from the surcharge.

Not surprisingly, customer reactions have been decidedly mixed, and over on Facebook the company has dealt with negative comments by telling people where the policy is and isn't in place. Dockside is not the first restaurant to attempt to offset the cost of providing health care with a specific surcharge. In Los Angeles, the hotly anticipated bakery and restaurant Republique has been adding a 3% health care charge and encouraging customers to take 3% off the tip if they are dissatisfied. Go, watch the video below for more:

Video: Some Central Florida Restaurants Adding Surcharge to Offset Obamacare Costs

· Some Central Florida Restaurants Adding Surcharge to Offset Obamacare Costs [WFTV 9]
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