The influencer shared her bill on Instagram, sparking debate over whether the charge was too high. Photo / justinelovesushi
An influencer has gone viral after being stung with a US$110 ($187) “cake-cutting fee” at an upmarket restaurant in Beverly Hills.
The woman, known on Instagram as justinelovesushi, posted a video of her receipt from rooftop venue Poza, atop a luxury hotel, sparking debate online.
“I understand LA prices, but $110? Is that crazy or no ...” Justine captioned her video.
The US$10 charge per guest was applied to cut and serve the cake, pushing the group’s total spend to more than US$1100.
The post quickly gained traction, with commenters split over whether the fee was excessive or a reasonable policy at a high-end dining destination in Beverly Hills.
“$110 just to cut a cake is honestly wild, I understand upscale restaurants have service fees and policies, but at some point it starts feeling completely disconnected from reality,” one person commented.
The restaurant in question then commented on the post and apologised.
“We are so sorry you were not properly informed of our cake-cutting fee,” Poza wrote in a public Instagram response to the video.
“Please know that is not reflective of our standard, and you should have been notified of the fee once you brought the cake. As you weren’t informed, we’d be happy to refund the fee and invite you and a friend back to Poza to have a proper experience.”
The restaurant has made a change since the incident. The “cake-cutting fee” has dropped to US$5 per person, according to the New York Post.
Despite many online siding with Justine, believing the cost was too high, other commenters sided with the restaurant’s fee.
“Don’t bring your own food to a restaurant without expecting a fee. It was also plated and served. Buy the dessert from them, if you’re too cheap to pay the fee,” said one commenter.
“You interrupted the kitchen staff busiest time of the night, to cut your cake, and you’re also gonna use forks and plates to eat your cake and then they have to wash your dishes and clean your mess, absolutely you pay $10 per person,” said another.