A young Aussie café owner who unapologetically enforces a public holiday surcharge has revealed why it is a ‘necessary evil’ for many businesses.
While many Aussies shook their heads at the extra fees they were charged on Monday – which was a public holiday in several states – it’s hard to argue with the figures Ruby Rule, 25, shared on Tuesday.
Ms Rule, who owns three cafes in Queensland, charged an extra 15 per cent on the public holiday to help cover the additional cost of staff penalty rates.
‘We were operating on reduced hours but between my three locations we brought in $4,705 and of that money $719 was a surcharge,’ she explained.
‘Between all of my [nine] staff at all of my locations, 55 hours were worked today. So because of the public holiday, the wages across my three venues came out at $3,500 just for today.’
Ms Rule said the surcharge was a ‘necessary evil’, noting the cost of paying nine staff on an average day would be $1,800 – almost half the cost on a public holiday.
‘That $700 extra we got in the public holiday surcharge doesn’t actually cover even the majority of the extra money we have to pay,’ she said.
‘This is to show that business owners do not add the surcharge so they can make more money. It’s purely to try and offset some of that cost.’
Café owner Ruby Rule (pictured) explained why public holiday rates were a ‘necessary evil’
Ms Rule added that while she loves working on public holidays as it allows her to meet new customers, ‘financially it doesn’t make as much sense as a standard day’.
However, some Aussies argued cafés should factor paying their staff penalty rates into their day-to-day pricing instead of using surcharges.
‘I hear you – but I still don’t think it needs to be pushed onto the consumer. It’s part of having a business and has been for a long time,’ one wrote.
‘So take the surcharge and add it throughout the year, add two per cent on the 360 odd days you’re open rather than 10 per cent on the 10 holidays you choose to add it,’ a second suggested.
‘It’s so much more appealing when businesses have higher prices to factor this in, and then give weekday specials to lure in traffic on less busy days. Surcharges have killed hospitality for public holidays,’ another said.
Ms Rule owns three cafés in Queensland including Boney’s in Redcliffe (pictured)
Ms Rule responded: ‘My customers would rather have the choice to stay home on a public holiday than have to pay more year round.’
Many others thanked Ms Rule for explaining why she enforced the surcharge.
‘Thanks for posting mate! I totally get the surcharge you guys have to survive. To be honest peeps should be happy cafés are open on public holidays at all,’ one said.
‘Thanks for helping us understand. So open and honest,’ another wrote.
A third shared: ‘I’m happy to pay a public holiday surcharge cause I appreciate that you’re open and I feel the staff deserve that extra cash’.
