The confusion and lack of transparency around restaurant fees is leading diners to take matters into their own hands. A spreadsheet crowdsourced via Reddit over the past year is perhaps the most comprehensive list yet of dining establishments charging a fee. Meanwhile, a Chrome web browser extension that one Redditor built off the data will pop up an alert anytime you visit the website of a restaurant with an extra charge.
The spreadsheet (with accompanying Google submission form) was created early last year by Sarah Stella, a federal government employee. She’d already been seeing a bunch of posts on the Washington, DC subreddit about people being caught off guard by menu surcharges. Then, she and a co-worker visited (now-closed) ramen restaurant Hatoba. Ordering form a QR code menu, she missed the 20-percent service charge and ended up leaving an additional 20-percent. She felt she needed to do something to create more transparency for diners like herself.
“I like having the full information before I go out to eat,” Stella says. “I know some people say, ‘Oh, I won’t go out if a place has a service fee.’ And I don’t feel that way at all. I just want to know in advance,” Stella says.
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The spreadsheet tracks fee amounts at each restaurant, where they’re advertised, whether the charge is in lieu of tipping, if there’s an option for additional tip, and whether the fee can be removed upon request, among other information. Reddit took off with it and the submissions rolled in: As of now, there are 227 restaurants on the list.
Zachary Grimshaw, a digital and technology consultant for non-profits, wanted to take the fee tracker one step further and make the information more accessible and useful. Like Stella, he’d been finding himself overtipping, not realizing when there was a fee. So he built a Chrome extension called TransparentFee DMV with the help of ChatGPT and his software-engineer brother. Once you install it, a small alert will pop up in the corner of the browser anytime you visit the website of a restaurant charging a fee: “Heads up! People have reported this establishment has a service fee in addition to menu prices.” You can then click further to see the fee amount and fee language. The same “Heads up!” also shows up under the restaurant profile in a Google search. Grimshaw says he’d like to eventually expand the functionality of his tool so that people will get fee alerts on popular reservation sites and in Google Maps.
“The primary goal is to simply make the users aware of any additional fees, not necessarily discourage customers from giving an establishment business,” Grimshaw says. “Additionally, I hope it encourages restaurants to become more transparent with fees, specifically around if and how it benefits the staff.”
Stella says she checks in on the spreadsheet from time to time to keep the information tidy and do some light fact-checking, but ultimately she relies on others to submit accurate details. Grimshaw says he also does his best to verify the information on each restaurant’s website—but the fees are not listed on about half of the websites he’s searched. (The Chrome extension has an option to submit inaccurate or missing data.)
Both Redditors have found the fee transparency across the DC dining scene to be a real mixed bag. Asked to rate restaurants on a whole about their fee transparency, Stella says she’d give them a six out of ten. “I think most people are trying to figure it out in good faith,” she says. “And I think that it’s just going to be confusing for a while.”
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Food Editor
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
The memorial service will be held at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial at 1 p.m.
A brave K-9 hero from the region will be honored at the Annual National Police K9 Memorial Service on Monday afternoon. (Roanoke Police Department)
WASHINGTON D.C. – A brave K-9 hero from the region will be honored at the Annual National Police K9 Memorial Service on Monday afternoon.
K-9 Knox died in the line of duty last year after he was accidentally hit by a police vehicle while pursuing a suspect involved in a stolen vehicle incident. He was a 3-year-old German shepherd and had served as a narcotics detection and patrol apprehension K-9 for the Roanoke Police Department since May 2023.
The memorial service will include a wreath-laying ceremony and will be held at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., at 1 p.m. The event will open with a musical performance by Frank Ray, and the guest speaker will be Deputy Jared Hahn of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit.
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The San Antonio Police Department Blue Line Choir will sing the national anthem, and the Emerald Society Pipes & Drums band will also perform.
Showers continue to move west with a cold front tonight. There will be a break in the rain overnight, but showers return for the start of the day on Monday. Monday afternoon will be dry, but noticeably cooler.
Sunshine returns Tuesday, but the break in the rain will be short-lived with rain chances on Wednesday
Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.
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TONIGHT: Showers early Mostly cloudy Wind: N 5-10 mph LOW: Low 50s
BXP (NYSE:BXP) is relocating its regional headquarters to make room for major tenant the Washington Commanders in Foggy Bottom.
The company is moving into a newly renovated downtown Washington, DC office building as part of this shift.
The relocation aligns with recent leasing activity and capital deployment in the DC market.
For investors watching NYSE:BXP, this move ties directly to how the company is using its portfolio to support active leasing and tenant relationships. The stock last closed at $59.46, with a 15.0% return over the past 30 days and a 1.7% return over the past week, while the return over the past 5 years is a 27.4% decline. These mixed signals highlight why operational updates like this relocation can matter alongside price performance.
The decision to prioritize space for an NFL franchise tenant and occupy a freshly renovated downtown asset provides additional context on how BXP is positioning its DC footprint. As more details emerge on leasing terms, occupancy, and future capital plans around these properties, investors can use this event as another data point when assessing how the company is managing growth and risk in a key office market.
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NYSE:BXP Earnings & Revenue Growth as at May 2026
3 things going right for BXP that this headline doesn’t cover.
This headquarters move sits at the intersection of BXP’s tenant strategy and its capital deployment in Washington, DC. By giving the Washington Commanders a larger footprint in Foggy Bottom and shifting its own team into a recently refurbished, US$25 million downtown building, BXP is effectively using its portfolio as a tool to secure and retain high profile tenants. That matters for a company whose first quarter 2026 revenue of US$872.15 million and net income of US$101.58 million depend heavily on occupancy and long term leases. It also aligns with management’s comments about portfolio performance contributing to an increased full year 2026 EPS guidance range of US$2.15 to US$2.29 per diluted share, where gains on sales and operating trends both play a role.
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How This Fits Into The BXP Narrative
The relocation supports the narrative catalyst around a flight to quality, as BXP is concentrating activity in well located, premier DC assets that can appeal to blue chip tenants such as the Commanders.
At the same time, shifting internal space and accommodating a large tenant concentrates exposure in a single market and property cluster, which could challenge assumptions about diversification and leasing flexibility if demand softens.
This news adds detail on how BXP is using headquarters space as part of broader leasing negotiations, a nuance that may not be fully reflected in narrative discussions focused on development projects and capital recycling.
Knowing what a company is worth starts with understanding its story.
Check out one of the top narratives in the Simply Wall St Community for BXP to help decide what it’s worth to you.
The Risks and Rewards Investors Should Consider
⚠️ Higher tenant concentration in a single NFL franchise could increase earnings sensitivity to one lease, especially if sector headwinds or usage changes affect long term space needs.
⚠️ The move comes against a backdrop where analysts have flagged occupancy pressure and interest coverage as key risks, so additional capital tied to renovations and relocations may constrain flexibility if conditions tighten.
🎁 Hosting the Commanders in Foggy Bottom may support occupancy and brand appeal across nearby properties, which can help leasing in a competitive office market.
🎁 Moving into a newly renovated downtown office can signal confidence in DC as a core market and help BXP’s own staff operate closer to tenants and development activity.
What To Watch Going Forward
From here, keep an eye on leasing metrics and disclosed terms around the Commanders’ space, including remaining lease length, rent levels, and any associated capital commitments. It is also worth watching how occupancy and cash flow from the renovated downtown building show up in future quarterly results, alongside the company’s EPS guidance for 2026 of US$2.15 to US$2.29 per diluted share. Any commentary on additional relocations, asset sales, or redevelopment plans in DC will help you judge whether this move is part of a broader repositioning of the portfolio or a one off response to a single tenant opportunity.
To ensure you’re always in the loop on how the latest news impacts the investment narrative for BXP, head to the
community page for BXP to never miss an update on the top community narratives.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data
and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your
financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data.
Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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