The dining room at Shakers is full most weekdays, with people eating out for lunch.
Owners of the restaurant wonder if that will continue, if Lynchburg's meals tax goes up.
"Taxes are pretty high as it is right now," Bob Plunkett, a director of operations for Shaker's who represents a group of restaurant owners in the city that is fighting a meals tax increase.
"It just seems like it's unfairly targeting the restaurant business," Plunkett said.
Lynchburg's city manager has proposed raising the meals tax from 6.5% to 7.5%.
Add that to the state meals tax of 5%, and Lynchburg would have one of the largest meals taxes in Virginia at 12.5%.
City manager Kimball Payne says the extra money will be used to speed up construction of a new Heritage High School.
"We had originally been working with a goal of occupying a new Heritage High School by 2018," said Payne. "We've received some feedback that our goal was too far out."
The tax increase would generate nearly two million dollars a year; money that could allow the city to start building a new high school two years sooner.
"If we're going to deliver Heritage High School faster, we've got to have money sooner to pay for it."
"That could backfire on the city, if revenues go down," said Plunkett, who worries the added tax will have a lasting effect on the city's restaurant business.
Most people WDBJ7 talked to Thursday said the extra fee wouldn't keep them from dining out.
"I don't think the one percent would change whether or not I get a meal out," said Mary Martin, a Shaker's customer.
"I think we already have enough taxes on everything," said Shaker's customer Lucille Vaughan, who disagrees with the proposed tax increase.
"With gas prices as high as they are, we can't afford to tack on any more taxes to anything," Vaughan said.
City council will hold a meeting Thursday night at Bedford Hills Elementary School, to get feedback on the meals tax and the rest of the proposed city budget. That meeting starts at 7:00 PM.
Citizens can also share their thoughts at a public hearing next Tuesday, April 3, at Lynchburg City Hall.
