He added a surcharge to one of his restaurant’s bills, but Tillman Fertitta quickly paid for the move himself

Known as “America’s Richest Restaurateur,” Houston’s Tillman Fertitta owns restaurants from coast to coast.

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The Landry’s CEO owns Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Mastro’s, McCormick & Schmick’s and the Rainforest Cafe, to name a few.

And in Washington, his Oceanaire is losing fans for a surcharge it recently begun adding to its bills.

“Due to the rising costs of doing business in this location, including costs associated with higher minimum wage rates, a 3% surcharge has been added to your total bill,” the fine print reads at the end of receipts.

I love @Oceanaire, but won't go as long as there is this ridiculous political statement masquerading as a surcharge https://t.co/Bpe7jb9mIf

— WAM!ckee (@mckee_arthur) August 18, 2017

A local diner patron, outraged at how the restaurant was essentially blaming its employees, snapped a picture and sent it to a blog which posted a picture of his receipt.

Comments ensued:

“Just raise prices if you need to, don’t try to slip this in under the radar and then pretty much blame [it] on employees who need to make a living!” one commenter posted.

“I have no problem paying high prices to support better wages, but I do have a major problem with this sort of deceptive business practice,” another read.

A third offered to, “Take your political statement and shove it.”

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Fertitta, who just last week won the auction to resuscitate Joe’s Crab Shack, did not directly comment on the move, but it was learned that the restaurant removed the surcharge shortly after the kerfuffle.