'Discretionary' service charges - are used widely across the sector, personally i dont mind them, i have chosen not to pay them, and where they exist i do not leave a tip. Of course they vary in %, 12.5% i dont mind that much, 15% needs thinking about....I also look to see that all are shared amongst the staff fairly. If you dont like them, then vote with your feet and choose not to eat at places that deploy them.
As it happens, i know the proprietor of the aforementioned local chain, reasonably well, and his attitude to food, seasonality, sustainability and low food miles is admirable and they (IMO & E) provide great food at great value - he is one of the good guys. I could name several others that are not.
We have just got back from a road trip where we ate out for 17 days - there is huge variability; but the restaurant experience is about creating food memories, some that is purely food as fuel, but for others it is about the experience, the ingredients and the skill that goes into making what we eat - along with the ambience - many of those "shack" experiences are carefully curated, some have evolved.....
We ate at the Kitchin in Edinburgh, the cooking, ingredients and service were impeccable - the wine choices created interest, but my overall impression was underwhelming. The flavours were were great, but were not challenging or interesting. It all seemed rather formulaic - which is not something i attribute to M* cooking usual. Would I go again? probably not. We had a fantastic overall experience though - did it offer value? Yes in many senses it did, it certainly wasnt cheap, but you do go into these places with your eyes and wallet open
We have eaten at all the michelin starred restaurants in Edinburgh and this wasn't my least favourite, On this trip whilst in Edinburgh we ate another place which has no stars but but had our tastebuds jumping, was creative and put a smile on our face. We enjoyed it more.
By contrast on the trip we also ate (for the 4th time over many years) - in a tiny seafood restaurant in Inverness, not cheap, but every time we've been there is something different, more creative on the menu. Again great service - IMO worthy of at least 1*