A California restaurant is under fire for allegedly deceiving its customers with hidden fees. Alexander Xue filed a complaint against SP Social, LLC in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara on February 19, 2025. The lawsuit accuses the restaurant of secretly adding a "Living Wage Surcharge" to customer bills without proper disclosure.
The complaint details how Xue visited San Pedro Social, a sports bar and restaurant owned by SP Social, LLC, on November 29, 2024. Upon reviewing his receipt after dining, Xue discovered an unexpected charge labeled as "Living Wage Surcharge," amounting to $0.71 or 5.46% of his pre-tax subtotal. This fee was not disclosed on the menu or during the ordering process, leading Xue to believe he was misled about the actual cost of his meal.
Xue's lawsuit alleges that SP Social's practices violate several California laws designed to protect consumers from deceptive business practices. The first cause of action cites the Unfair Competition Law (Business and Professions Code §§ 17200 et seq.), which prohibits unlawful and fraudulent business acts. According to Xue, SP Social engaged in unfair competition by failing to disclose mandatory surcharges and advertising prices it did not intend to honor.
The second cause of action involves the False Advertising Law (Business and Professions Code §§ 17500 et seq.), which forbids false advertising practices. Xue claims that SP Social falsely advertised its prices by omitting mandatory fees from its menu and misleading customers into believing they were paying less than they actually were.
Finally, the third cause of action references the Consumer Legal Remedies Act (Civil Code §§ 1750 et seq.), which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts in consumer transactions. The complaint argues that SP Social violated this act by advertising goods at prices that did not include all mandatory charges.
Xue seeks injunctive relief to prevent SP Social from continuing these practices and demands refunds for himself and other affected customers who unknowingly paid hidden fees. Additionally, he requests compensation for legal costs incurred during the lawsuit.
The case is being handled by Judge J. Nguyen under Case ID 25CV459256. As a pro se plaintiff, Alexander Xue represents himself in this legal battle against SP Social, LLC.