Something unexpected happened after we published our recent review of Mala Ocean Tavern on Maui. Readers started talking less about the food and more about what happens when the restaurant bill arrives.
Gloria V. started it with her experience at Mala last year. “When the bill came, there was a charge for the kitchen staff and a 20% tip added for our party of 6. Not Cool.”
Eva B., who has left more than 800 comments on Beat of Hawaii, responded that she has seen kitchen fees at several Hawaii restaurants recently and that a 20% automatic tip for groups of six or more “seems to be typical now, at least on Maui.”
Glenna, another longtime reader, said most restaurants charge an automatic 20% gratuity for parties of six or more, based on her experience. She added, “I think if service was bad, you could probably speak to the manager and get it reduced.”
Then Jack, with nearly 150 comments on BOH, widened the discussion beyond this one restaurant: “The more I read about vacation destination restaurants, the less interested I become. The tipping and billing surcharges annihilate interest.”
We weren’t planning for another restaurant-fee story. But four readers taking the conversation there in rapid succession sure caught our attention, especially since we’ve seen the reaction before. Our 2024 article about unexpected Hawaii restaurant fees drew many comments, while a separate discussion of tipping in Hawaii brought another reader complaining specifically about a kitchen fee at Merriman’s.
Kitchen surcharges can help pay cooks, automatic gratuities may go to low-paid tipped employees, while an administrative charge may serve some other purpose entirely. The words at the bottom of the check don’t necessarily tell diners what they’d like to know.
A 4% kitchen charge can add $14 an hour to pay.
Merriman’s currently adds a 4% surcharge to food at its restaurants on Maui, Oahu, Kauai, and the Big Island, stating that the money goes entirely to its kitchen staff. Its current menus also disclose a 20% gratuity for parties of six or more. Well stated up front, at least.
Merriman’s current recruiting information for a line cook at Kapalua lists base pay of $19.25 an hour and says the kitchen surcharge brings workers another $12 to $14 an hour. With about $4 more from tip sharing, the restaurant advertises total compensation of $37 to $39 an hour.
For the kitchen employees receiving it, that 4% isn’t incidental. At Merriman’s Kapalua, it can account for roughly a third of the total hourly wages being advertised to prospective line cooks.
Some diners, however, would rather see those labor costs incorporated into the price of the food instead. Others may appreciate knowing the additional money goes directly to the people preparing their meal. There isn’t just one point of view.
There’s no single Hawaii restaurant fee.
Merriman’s is hardly the only restaurant using a kitchen surcharge. Gather on Maui, for example, disclosed a 3% “Mahalo” kitchen surcharge on its 2026 Mother’s Day menu, with the money distributed to the kitchen team while drinks, tax, and gratuity remained separate.
“Kitchen surcharge,” “service charge,” “administrative fee,” and “gratuity” don’t necessarily describe the same thing. Even when charges are disclosed, diners may still wonder what has already gone to employees and whether anything additional is expected. It can also leave guests feeling worn, like they’re being asked to tip at every turn.
Glenna’s question raises another issue: what happens if 20% has already been imposed and the service is poor? A voluntary tip is at the diner’s discretion, but customers shouldn’t assume a mandatory charge can simply be altered on the check. If there’s a problem, ask the manager before paying; restaurant policies can differ.
Hawaii lawmakers tried to change the six-person rule.
HB 852, introduced in the Hawaii Legislature last year, would have prohibited restaurants from imposing a mandatory gratuity unless a party had at least ten people, rather than the six that has become common. It also would have capped the charge at 18% and required restaurants to clearly notify customers.
The bill didn’t become law, so those restrictions don’t apply. That means that restaurants in Hawaii can still impose automatic gratuities on parties of six when that is their policy.
Patrons may not be aware that Hawaii has a law governing restaurant and hotel service charges. Under HRS §481B-14, establishments that impose a service charge must distribute it directly to employees as tip income or clearly disclose when the money is used for other costs or expenses. The Hawaii Supreme Court examined the law in 2025 and said its purposes include reducing consumer confusion and protecting employee tips, including making clear how much of a charge has already been paid as a tip before customers decide whether to leave more.
The charges don’t have to be large to change the experience.
Eva wasn’t particularly bothered by the kitchen fee she encountered because, as she put it, “it was only about $3!” But the comments that followed showed how differently diners react once kitchen charges, automatic gratuities, and other fees begin appearing on the same bill.
Would you rather see a kitchen surcharge separately or have it built into menu prices? And if 20% has already been added for your party, do you consider the tip finished, especially when the service hasn’t lived up to expectations?
Photo Credit: © Beat of Hawaii.
By Rob and Jeff, Beat of Hawaii.
Some of the most meaningful parts of Hawaii are the ones visitors walk right past without knowing they are there. We’ve spent nearly 20 years finding them firsthand for BOH as full-time Hawaii residents reporting on travel, culture, and island life, and telling you what they mean for your trip. Join us →
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