Business
Langer’s Deli disputes nearly $1,800 dumpster-access surcharge
The landmark Los Angeles deli says a fee for unlocking its gated trash area pushed its October garbage bill up by more than 70%.
Langer’s Deli owner Norm Langer is challenging nearly $1,800 in charges tied to a trash hauler unlocking the business’s dumpster gate during five weekly pickups, according to an ABC7 report.
Disputed amount: Nearly $1,800
Reason given: Accessing a locked dumpster enclosure
Pickup frequency: Five times a week
Service provider: Athens Services
Restaurant challenges the added cost
Langer said the added charge could eventually affect menu prices. He told ABC7 that he intends to pay the underlying bill but withhold the disputed surcharge while waiting for further discussion with the company.
The owner also alleged that food scraps and regular trash were combined during collection. ABC7 presented that as Langer’s account; the report did not include independent confirmation of the claim.
Athens stands by the charge
Athens Services, the hauler assigned to the property through the city’s commercial-trash system, told ABC7 that its drivers charge for unlocking enclosures whether access requires a key or a code. The company stood by the bill.
ABC7 said Los Angeles Sanitation had not responded to its request for comment by publication time.