made possible with the help of a state grant. New at 11. Some big changes may be coming to a menu near you. A decision today by the state attorney general means there can be no surcharges, added to your restaurant tab. Everything must be included in the price you see on that menu. And as NBC Bay Area's Terry McSweeney found out, it's leaving a bad taste in the mouth of some restaurant owners. 2315 if you've ever wondered how your check at a restaurant got so high, help may be on the way. California attorney General Rob Bonta has ruled that the ban on hidden fees for hotels and concert and sports tickets, approved by lawmakers last October also applies to restaurants. The price varies on the menu. That's the way it is, you know, and we don't add anything at IL Torno restaurant in San Francisco's North Beach, owner Santino Esposito says he has never charged a hidden or junk fee, such as a percentage for employees health care or higher wages. It's always been right there in the price on his menu. I work myself more, you know, I cut off some employee if I have to, so I work more. So I don't need to charge people any extra fees. But many restaurants are concerned that adding these surcharges to the price on the menu could cause sticker shock, says Golden Gate Restaurant Association Executive Director Lori Thomas will that being up front and center cause people to dine out less? And if people continue to dine out less, we do have a struggling restaurant industry. Many restaurants, especially larger ones, do charge the so-called hidden fees. Owners and managers at restaurants here in North Beach tonight declined our invitation to talk to us on camera, but some said it is not going to help. Will I lose enough money that I have to either lay people off or I can't make it work anymore? We asked some diners how they like their pricing all up front, or tell me later. On the one hand, I like to pay the price that that's advertised because that feels good. Someone says it's going to be $9. It's $9 for me. I am definitely okay with it being added to the check. I don't need to see that up front. I'm not choosing a restaurant or a hotel based exclusively on price. A lot of it is about the experience. Restaurants don't have long to prepare for the menu changes. The new state law goes into
