The Solaire Social Food Hall in downtown Silver Spring now charges a “small base fee” on all restaurant bills to “cover the costs of upkeep, maintenance and extensive programming at the venue.”

Reader Sean S. told The Source this week that he didn’t know about the 8.5 percent fee until he noticed it on his receipt and asked Solaire Social management about it.

“I tried it the other day and was impressed with the variety of food available,” Sean said via email. “The food I had there was very good.” “However, when I looked more closely at my bill, I noticed a “general charge” of about 8.5%. I contacted Solaire Social to ask about this charge and received the attached PDF.

“These types of hidden fees, charging casual diners for costs that should be borne by the vendors, the building owner or the event attendees, are unconscionable,” Sean continued. “I was not informed of this fee when I purchased my food, nor did I see any signs at the vendor’s office indicating it.”

A Solaire Social representative said signs were posted near the bar area alerting customers to the fee.

Chef Akhtar Nawab, co-CEO of Brooklyn, NY-based Hospitality HQ, which operates Solaire Social, issued the following statement:

Solaire Social was designed to be a community gathering place, a place for neighbors and families to come together to do things, eat, and socialize. Much like a community center, Solaire Social’s goal has always been to bring people together.

With this goal in mind, we carefully selected our food vendors to reflect and celebrate the diversity of Silver Spring. Unlike the region’s food courts with national brands, each vendor is unique at Solaire Social. We are proud that nine of our ten vendors are immigrant entrepreneurs. For many of these vendors, this is their first opportunity to have a permanent location to sell their traditional recipes in homage to their homeland.

We have intentionally operated our business to help these entrepreneurs live the American dream. To ensure our vendors make the most money from their sales, we cover a portion of their costs by charging an industry-standard fee in accordance with Maryland restaurant guidelines. The 8.5% fee goes toward a portion of maintenance and program costs to keep Solaire Social a vibrant community gathering place. We offer our space free of charge to community groups, organizations, family gatherings and events.

The 13,000-square-foot Solaire Social, with nine vendors, 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 became the tenth vendor to enter the Food Hall.

Photo courtesy of Solaire Social (thanks to Sean S. for the tip!)