Montreal was finally able to follow the rest of the province this week and open its restaurants. There are of course social distancing measures in place that incur costs for owners, but Montreal restaurant had to withdraw a “COVID tax” that he had imposed on his customers.
Pizzeria Napoletana, located in Little Italy, ended up in hot water this week after customers discovered “COVID” fees of $ 4 on their bill.
However, it seems that this kind of tax is prohibited by law. Indeed, according to the Office of Consumer Protection, traders must include all costs in the final prices.
“A merchant may increase his prices because of the costs generated by COVID-19, but these costs must be included in the advertised price,” reads the organization’s website.
On Facebook, a post showing a photo of a receipt with these additional fees was shared more than 1,400 times.
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In the comments, several expressed their anger at this “COVID tax” and some even said they wanted to boycott the restaurant.
At the end of the evening on June 25, Pizzeria Napoletana announced on its Facebook page the withdrawal of these fees and apologized to its customers.
“This fee was not added in bad faith,” says the publication.
“Our expenses have consideredably increased. We finish by hoping that everyone understands that this fee has not been added at all to take advantage of a situation which is difficult and sad for everyone. “
The pizzeria also clarified that all those who paid these costs can be reimbursed upon presentation of their bill at the restaurant.
So, if you are going to a restaurant soon, check your receipt carefully to make sure there is no “COVID tax”!
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