The Solaire Social food hall in downtown Silver Spring now adds a “small common fee” to all dine-in checks to “help cover the costs of venue upkeep, maintenance and a robust programming schedule.”
Reader Sean S. told the Source this week that he was unaware of the 8.5 percent charge until he noticed it on his receipt and inquired with Solaire Social management.
“I tried it the other day and was impressed by the variety of food options available,” Sean said via email. “The meal I had there was very nice. “However… when looking more carefully at my bill I noticed a ~8.5% “common fee” charge. I contacted Solaire Social to ask about this fee and was sent the attached PDF.
“This type of hidden fee charged to casual diners for expenses that should be covered by the vendors, building owner, or event attendees is unconscionable,” Sean continued. “When purchasing my food, I was not told about this fee and did not see any signage at the vendor explaining it.”
A Solaire Social representative said signs notifying customers of the fee are posted close to the bar area.
Chef Akhtar Nawab, co-CEO of Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Hospitality HQ, which operates Solaire Social, issued the following statement:
Solaire Social was designed to be a community gathering space, a hub for neighbors and families to congregate for activities, food and camaraderie. Not unlike a community center, Solaire Social’s plan has always been to bring people together.
With that as our goal, we carefully curated our food vendors to reflect and pay tribute to Silver Spring’s diversity. Every vendor is unique to Solaire Social unlike area food courts with national brands. We are proud that of our ten vendors, nine are immigrant entrepreneurs. For many of these merchants this is their first opportunity to have a brick-and-mortar venue from which to sell their traditional recipes in homage to their home.
We were deliberate in our process of ensuring that these entrepreneurs could live the American dream. For our vendors to retain the most income from their sales we defray some of their costs by adding an industry standard fee according to Maryland restaurant guidelines. The fee of 8.5% goes to some of the maintenance and programming costs to keep Solaire Social a vibrant community venue. We provide our space at no charge for community groups, organizations, family parties and events.
The nine-vendor, 13,000-square-foot Solaire Social opened in May on the ground floor of the 27-story Solaire 8200 Dixon apartment building in downtown Silver Spring. In July, El Jefe Wood Fired Pizza joined the food hall as its tenth vendor.
Photo Courtesy of Solaire Social (thanks to Sean S. for the tip!)