Mandatory Restaurant Service Charge Illegal: What Diners Need to Know

• Government declares mandatory restaurant service charge illegal and an unfair trade practice.
• Delhi High Court upholds CCPA guidelines, ruling against compulsory service charge collection.
• CCPA guidelines state restaurants cannot automatically add service charge, nor can they deny service for refusal to pay.
• 27 restaurants, including China Gate and Cafe Blue Bottle, penalized for unfair trade practices.
• Diners can now refuse to pay service charge; violations can be reported via National Consumer Helpline.