The Latest Coronavirus War Is the ‘COVID-19 Surcharge’

At Bootleggers BBQ, a stick-to-your-ribs smokehouse that usually draws crowds from around Missouri, the coronavirus pandemic has decimated sales. Even with expanded hours, the restaurant is doing approximately 40 percent of its usual business, according to owner Brian Staack. So when the price of meat doubled in his area, Staack did what several local businesses had done: He implemented a flat, 5 percent “COVID-19 surcharge” to every customer’s…