Tipping has always been a frustration for Australian’s visiting the USA. How much do you tip, 15%, 20% double the tax, the recommendations vary far and wide.
But it seems the tipping arena in restaurants is changing.
Danny Meyer’s a famed restaurateur who has many acclaimed restaurants in New York from the Gramercy Tavern, The Modern in the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), the new Untitled at the Whitney Museum, to the New York dining icon for foodies Union Square Café.
Last week Danny Meyer’s announced that he will abolish tipping in his 13 restaurants over the next year starting with The Modern.
In late November, you will no longer find a tip line on your check. No need to leave additional cash at the table, coat check or the bar. The rest of his New York restaurants will make this change over the course of the next year.
Currently, some laws and regulations determine what position in a restaurant may and may not share in gratuities, so many of the staff such as cooks, reservationists, and dishwashers to name a few do not get a chance to share in guests generosity.
They believe the total cost to pay to dine won’t differ much from what you pay now, but they believe they will have the ability to compensate their employees equitably, competitively and professionally.
It has long been the assumption that the motivator for good service in the USA hospitality industry has been due to the expectation of a tip; will service standards be upheld going forward?
The good news, at least a calculation of who is best at math will no longer be required when the check arrives.