This restaurant forced Boiseans to pay a 20% service fee. Ending ‘fuss,’ it reconsidered

Since opening six years ago, Madre Boutique Taqueria has won over fans with its creative Mexican food.

But one quirk about the restaurant has been controversial. When customers bought food and drink, they were automatically charged a 20% service fee. This is at a restaurant where you order at the counter. (Food is then brought to tables.)

But the built-in charge is now history.

Reversing its policy, the Boise restaurant at 1034 S. La Pointe St. has eliminated its service fee.

“We’ve hit the reset button,” Madre announced Monday on social media, “and kicked out the service charge, bringing back good ol’ guest tipping! We get that this switch-up will bring a grin to many faces. To those awesome guests who showed love for the service charge, we hear you loud and clear. Maybe one day, the restaurant world will embrace a new way of doing things. But for now, we’re all about serving up unforgettable experiences without the fuss. Let’s keep the focus on bringing joy to every table!”

If you read online reviews, you know that feelings were mixed about the service charge. More than a few customers were not wild about it. An example from Google: “I did not appreciate the automatic 20% fee added to my bill for a tip.”

But Madre has maintained that its intentions were noble. Its website still contains a section dedicated to explaining the now-defunct policy . “We believe the traditional restaurant compensation model is broken,” Madre writes. To help fix it? “We add a 20% service charge to all bills to pay a higher hourly wage to our hourly team. The 20% allows us to create equality and stability in our industry. Our goal is to ensure fair, equitable wages and benefits for our hourly team members.”

But the mandatory 20% ding is no more. And some customers claim they will miss it.

“We actually liked the built-in service charge/tip,” a Facebook commenter wrote after Madre shared the news. “Made our ‘to go’ orders super easy.”