As the FIFA World Cup continues in cities across the United States, some residents of these cities are having issues.
First, many are finding it difficult to actually navigate their city now that the games are underway. For example, one woman said the police temporarily blocked off the path to her home due to the games. Others have complained about transit prices during the games.
Now, an Atlanta, Georgia resident has documented a new World Cup-related problem: mystery restaurant fees.
What’s This Charge?
In a video with over 94,000 views, TikTok user Diamond (@vvs.thebrand) shows a strange charge she received while at a restaurant in the city.
“Bro, I cannot make this sh– up,” she starts. “Only in Atlanta!”
She then shows the bill. Under the subtotal is a 20% charge labeled “FIFA.”
“FIFA? FIFA. Why?” she asks. “I’m here for Taco Tuesday, and I’m paying for FIFA? I’m not at FIFA.”
She continues, gesturing around the restaurant: “This don’t look like FIFA. Why am I paying for FIFA?”
The restaurant is No Mas! Cantina in Atlanta, Georgia.
Are Restaurants Really Charging FIFA Fees?
It seems that these automatic FIFA fees are real—though Diamond isn’t “paying for FIFA,” as she might assume.
According to Fox News, these fees are not necessarily an attempt by restaurants to cash in on the FIFA World Cup. Instead, some restaurants are choosing to implement these fees due to the large number of foreign visitors.
For context, while tipping is present in many countries around the world, the United States is unique in the sense that a majority of server wages are made up of tips. In many other countries, a server is paid by their employer. In many U.S. states, an employer can pay an employee just $2.13 per hour, with tips from customers making up the rest of their wages.
Foreigners visiting the country may be unfamiliar with this system. Given that they’re used to paying what’s written on their bill, they may see a tip as optional, or only tip a small percentage. In order to ensure their employees are still paid, some restaurants near World Cup hotspots have decided not to directly pay their staff more, but instead automatically charge customers a gratuity.
The Fox News article notes that other restaurants are taking a different approach. For example, some have posted signs explaining America’s tipping culture and telling visitors how much they are expected to tip.
Is This Legal?
In an email, No Mas! Cantina Director of Operations Melody Voirin explained how the policy came to be.
“We began this policy on the first World Cup match day after the opening weekend, when several of our longtime servers reported that many international visitors were either leaving 1–2% tips or not tipping at all,” Voirin wrote. “As a restaurant located just blocks from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, we’ve welcomed guests from all over the world, and we simply wanted to protect the livelihoods of our serving staff and their families, many of whom have worked with us for years and have been putting in countless extra hours throughout the tournament. The automatic gratuity is applied to all guest checks during this temporary period, not just guests attending matches.”
Speaking with 11ALIVE, No Mas Cantina owner Stephen MacNeil offered additional comments.
“People who come from other countries, their tips are built in, and they just don’t know our system here,” he explained. “They’re not trying to be rude, and we just want to keep it simple for everybody,” noting that “80 to 90 percent” of servers’ earnings come from tips. MacNeil added that the FIFA fee would be removed on July 15.
Can It Be Removed?
Still, some may look at this arrangement and wonder whether it’s legal to automatically charge customers a FIFA fee.
While there could be some issues if the fee was not clearly marked prior to ordering, in general, automatic gratuities are legal. Technically speaking, this is not a tip, but a service charge. This means that it cannot necessarily be removed from the bill by asking the restaurant. Voirin noted in her email that “We also want our guests to know that if they ever feel the service they received did not warrant the automatic 20% gratuity, they are encouraged to speak with a manager. We are always happy to review the situation and, when appropriate, remove the gratuity.”
Voirin further clarified that receipts no longer say “FIFA” and that “we have updated the wording on our receipts to read ‘Gratuity Included,’ and we apologize for any misunderstanding the original label may have caused.”
“The full 20% gratuity goes directly to the server assigned to that table,” she added. “It is not retained by the restaurant.”
Diners Don’t Like It
In the comments section, users shared their complaints about this practice.
“That should be illegal,” a user declared.
“Ok, so most other countries don’t recognize tipping. But. The correct way to manage this is temporary increase wages for duration of FIFA not make customers pay a tax,” stated another.
“I don’t even watch sports, they’d have to run that back,” stated a third.
BroBible reached out to Diamond via TikTok and Instagram direct message.