A 2.5% surcharge will be added to all guest checks to assist funding employee healthcare. These funds will be used solely for that purpose.

Our goal is to be as transparent as possible regarding this surcharge. We understand that there may be questions, comments, and concerns. We encourage you to reach out if you have any.

Below is an open letter from General Manager Jin Link

1/29/2026

An open letter to our valued Guests:                                      

 Hello,

 My name is Jin Link, I am the General Manager here at Charcoal. I am writing this letter to discuss why we have chosen to implement a 2.5% surcharge on your bill. This was certainly a tough decision to make, and in our 5 years of operation we have tried our best to avoid doing so. I hope you will take the time to hear our reasoning, and I realize that while you may still disagree with it, I hope you can at least find some understanding. I would also like to state that at no point in this letter will I be complaining about anything, but rather simply addressing the realities of the world we share that has driven us to make this tough decision, nor is there any intention of making any comment about politics.

Our medical insurance rates have increased just over 30% in the last 2 years. Combined with the rising costs in every other sector, some level of change is, unfortunately, inevitable. As our commitment to providing a high level of quality dishes and hospitality will always remain steadfast, and our work to be as efficient as possible with operational costs will always continue, we feel the only option that remains is a price increase. Before I address why we have chosen to implement this in the form of a surcharge, I’d like to explain how we will use these funds.

This 2.5% surcharge has been implemented to offset the costs of our employee’s healthcare insurance, and the funds will be solely used for that. Based on our sales projections, we do not anticipate that these funds collected would exceed our healthcare costs, though in event that it does we would either use the excess funds to cover a larger percentage of the employee contribution, or offer a better healthcare plan when it is time to renew. We are not intending to cover the cost entirely with this surcharge, which is why we chose a rate of 2.5% instead of a higher value. I would also like to mention that due to the small size of our company, we are not required by law to provide health insurance to our Team, but we feel quite strongly that it is the right thing to do.

After much research, deliberation, and a long list of pros and cons, we have come to the decision that this is the best way for both us and our guests. We realize the main argument against a surcharge is that it feels like a hidden fee. Why not simply raise prices on each item and let the consumer decide if they want to spend their hard-earned money here or not? I completely and fully understand that argument. I, too, know exactly what it feels like to get dinged with hidden fees, and it certainly doesn’t feel great. It is our opinion, though, that this will be the most transparent way to handle this price increase. I feel strongly that it is better to tell you exactly how this portion of revenue will be used, rather than raise menu item pricing and keep you in the dark. The added benefit with the surcharge is that we are bound by law to use the funds solely for what is stated. I hope that proof of our opinion can be seen here, and in our other efforts to show that transparency (such as signage, not-so-fine print on our menu, reservation system, google business page info, and this letter being posted on our website).

Now let me get to the other part, why not just raise prices? One of our core values is to elevate our guests and our sense of hospitality before making a buck. While we are not a “cheap” dining option, we try our hardest to provide value for the dollar. Say we raise prices $1 for every item across the board. The math gets a little cloudy due to the varied price points of our food, wine, and spirits list, but the average guest check would actually see a larger price increase. For example, a $42 entrée, a $12 glass of wine, and an $11 dessert, each raised $1 would be a 4.6% increase. For our lower priced entrees, the increase is over 6%. With higher dollar items, the price increase becomes closer to, or less than 2.5%. Such as a $72 new york and $19 glass of wine would be only a 2.2% increase. However, based on our sales analytics and most sold items, it is clear that the large majority of our guests would benefit from a flat 2.5% rather than a price increase on each item. In an effort to align with that core value, I don’t see how we could have gone the other route.

I would also like to mention that we do not expect any kind offerings of gratuity to be based on the amount including the surcharge, and we are grateful for any gratuity that does get offered.

While I understand that you may still disagree, I hope that this at least gives you a better idea of our intentions, and what drove our decisions to take this route. I also urge you to please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns. Admittedly, there are still quite a few details I did not mention here as I didn’t want to take up too much of your time, though would look forward to discussing it further with you.

Sincerely,

Jin Link

General Manager, Charcoal

jin@charcoaledmonds.com