In select Submarine House locations in the Dayton region, the franchise has halted charging an “inflation charge” after a three-day trial period in which it experimented with the practice.
On Thursday, a client phoned News Center 7 after seeing an additional fee on her receipt. She described the situation as follows:
According to Annette Saylor, who frequents one of the restaurant’s locations a couple of times a month, she was “a little surprised” to see an inflation charge on her ticket when she checked it over. The phrase appeared on no other transaction I’d made at any other restaurant, “I had never seen it before.”
However, it was legal, and it was being charged due to the growing cost of living.
According to Kelsey Mears, director of franchise sales at Submarine House, the inflation charge was considered an alternative to an overall price rise. They said that the company was concerned about the growing prices of everything from raw materials to labor.
“We had some unfavorable response, which caused us to rethink our decision, and we ultimately decided against it after three days.”
Following the completion of the test, Submarine House said that it would be forced to implement an overall price increase for its goods. “It’s not so much about the number as it is about the philosophy,” Saylor said. “I simply believe it could have been stated more clearly.”