Separate Menus set for the Chop
Restaurants no longer have to provide a separate menu for the times they want to apply surcharges following the federal government’s support of recommendations for the requirement to be abolished.
Minister for small business Nick Sherry has said the government had accepted the recommendation of the Productivity Commission to axe the law that came into force in 2009.
It has meant restaurants and cafés could be slugged with hefty fines if they included a percentage surcharge on their menus for certain days such as weekends or public holidays. Instead they were required to have separate menus showing each items price inclusive of any surcharge.
“I’m especially pleased that the government’s response includes reducing red tape for tens of thousands of restaurants and cafes, most of which are small businesses,” Mr Sherry said. “The government has accepted the recommendation to have restaurant and café menu surcharges for specific days placed outside the scope of component pricing provisions of the Australian Consumer Law.
Businesses that failed to change their menus after a warning were liable for a $6600 infringement notice.
The Federal Court ordered two NSW restaurants to pay a penalty of $13,200 each for breaching the pricing laws last year.
Restaurant & Catering Australia chief executive officer John Hart said the state governments had to accept the change, given the new federal approach to the Consumer Law.
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