Ford’s Garage may drop a mandatory 20 percent service charge at select locations after running into mounting customer resistance, company leadership revealed.
The policy, tested by franchisee 23 Restaurant Services across five Florida venues, replaces traditional tipping with an automatic fee to support commission-based pay for servers, bartenders, and kitchen staff.
“It certainly was a test to see if this can help keep the cost down to the consumer, as well as reward the server,” Billy Downs, president of Ford's Garage, said while executives emphasize higher wages for employees, consumer pushback has prompted a hard look at the experiment.
Billy Downs, president of Ford’s Garage, told Fox News Digital that the chain is actively listening to customer complaints regarding the mandatory fee structure.
“I think that we need to listen to the consumer on those things, to be honest with you,” Downs said. “So, we are, and we may be encouraging a change to that program.”
The service model relies on commissions tied directly to sales rather than discretionary gratuities. Additional tips remain optional for diners using the team service approach.
Marc Brown, president of 23 Restaurant Services, defended the performance of the trial. He said that participating locations yield significantly higher hourly pay for front-of-house staff while maintaining steady year-over-year growth.
“Our servers in the locations that run our service charge program are making significantly higher average hourly pay than our servers and bartenders in locations that do not have it,” Brown told Fox News Digital.
Brown added that the fee is disclosed multiple times before ordering, equating it transparently to a higher menu price. Yet Downs acknowledged that the requirement rubs many diners the wrong way, regardless of operational intent.
Billy Downs, president of Ford’s Garage, said there have been some big wins and that some consumers do not want to pay a service charge. He said the biggest pushback is that people do not want to have a mandated service charge, adding that he gets it and is not sure he wants it either in certain times.
Founded in Fort Myers in 2012, the automotive-themed chain operates 36 restaurants across nine states. Average customer checks hover around $26, with weekday value options starting at $10.99.
Corporate leadership and the franchise group continue discussing adjustments to the service-fee program, but have not reached a final decision.
