# Ford's Garage may rethink 20% service charge after customer pushback

> Ford's Garage president says they may change 20% service charge policy after customer backlash.
- Title: Ford's Garage may rethink 20% service charge after customer…
- Summary: Ford's Garage president says they may change 20% service charge policy after customer backlash.
- Keywords: ford's garage, 20% service charge, florida restaurants, customer pushback, tipping policy, labor costs, Fox News
- Source: Fox News — https://foxnews.com/food-drink/restaurant-chain-may-rethink-controversial-20-service-charge-some-venues-after-customer-pushback
- Author: Peter Burke
- Published: 2026-11-13T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ford's garage, 20% service charge, florida restaurants, customer pushback, tipping policy, labor costs, news, politics
## Ford's Garage president addresses backlash
Billy Downs, president of Ford's Garage, says the chain may rethink its 20% service charge policy after customer pushback.

> I think that we need to listen to the consumer on those things, to be honest with you
## 20% service charge policy tested in Florida
Ford's Garage is testing a 20% service charge at five Florida locations to cover labor expenses without traditional tipping.
## Franchisee 23 Restaurant Services president
Marc Brown, president of 23 Restaurant Services, says servers earn higher wages under the service charge model without alienating most customers.

> 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
## Service charge model details
The model adds a 20% service charge to each check to support commission-based compensation for servers and kitchen staff.
## Customer feedback on service charge
Most customers accept the fee because they value the Ford's Garage experience, though some oppose mandatory service charges.

> The biggest pushback is people don't want to have a mandated service charge
## Ford's Garage's affordability focus
Ford's Garage has 36 restaurants across nine states with average customer checks of $26 and value meals starting at $10.99.
## Ongoing discussions about policy change
Both Ford's Garage and 23 Restaurant Services say they are discussing changes to the service charge policy but have not made final decisions.

> We have not made any decisions, but we talk about it regularly
## Key takeaway

Ford's Garage may adjust its 20% service charge at some Florida locations following customer complaints about mandatory fees.