More restaurants embrace trend of putting health care surcharges on diners' checks

[Orlong]

What made me LOL, was the tip jar at the self serve yogurt place. I get my own cup, fill it myself, put on my own toppings, put it on the scale myself... tip the cashier?

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Well, restaurants generally operate on razor thin margins. IF tipping totally went away, and staff was paid to compensate for it, the price of eating out would likely have to go up by a minimum of 20% ( plus tax ) across the board for the doors to stay open. With the tipping model, the customer and the business are both relieved of the tax responsibility for the amount of the tip, as that falls onto the worker as income tax ( depending on the honesty of said worker ).

I find that hard to believe, especially in places that serve alcohol. $12 for a glass of wine when you could buy a bottle for that price in a store. $8 for a shot of Jack Daniels? A whole bottle cost around $12 in a store, and how many shots are in a bottle? 20? Thats $160 they are getting for a $14 bottle (which they probably paid even less than that since they probably get a bulk discount).

A half barrel keg of Budweiser (yes I know its shitty beer) runs $100 and contains 1984 ounces. They sell 16 ounce draft beers for $5 each. Thats 124 glasses of beer which means they are raking in $624 for a $100 keg (also assuming they aren't getting a bulk discount)

Soda is a money grab too. A 5 gallon bag of syrup makes 30 gallons (3840 ounces) of soda and the average soda is 20 ounces so they get 192 glasses from a bag of syrup and most places charge about $2.50 (on the low end) for a soda, which means on a $93 bag of coke syrup (currently at Sams Club), they are making $480.

And dont even try to tell me those $5 orders of fries cost any more than 40 cents or so. Fresh potatoes are about $5 for a 10 pound bag at a grocery store, and most restaurants are paying a lot less per ound when they buy 500 pounds at a time

[Pooti]

I find that hard to believe, especially in places that serve alcohol. $12 for a glass of wine when you could buy a bottle for that price in a store. $8 for a shot of Jack Daniels? A whole bottle cost around $12 in a store, and how many shots are in a bottle? 20? Thats $160 they are getting for a $14 bottle (which they probably paid even less than that since they probably get a bulk discount).

A half barrel keg of Budweiser (yes I know its shitty beer) runs $100 and contains 1984 ounces. They sell 16 ounce draft beers for $5 each. Thats 124 glasses of beer which means they are raking in $624 for a $100 keg (also assuming they aren't getting a bulk discount)

Soda is a money grab too. A 5 gallon bag of syrup makes 30 gallons (3840 ounces) of soda and the average soda is 20 ounces so they get 192 glasses from a bag of syrup and most places charge about $2.50 (on the low end) for a soda, which means on a $93 bag of coke syrup (currently at Sams Club), they are making $480.

And dont even try to tell me those $5 orders of fries cost any more than 40 cents or so. Fresh potatoes are about $5 for a 10 pound bag at a grocery store, and most restaurants are paying a lot less per ound when they buy 500 pounds at a time

You do not understand the overhead involved in food service. The cost of a bottle of wine is not the same as the cost of serving that wine to you in an establishment. Soda has a big markup for sure, but if buying a bag of syrup is so cheap, why do not all soda drinkers buy it by the bag and have a soda dispenser in their home? It is actually a very expensive undertaking. Venue cost, liability insurance costs, liquor licensing, taxes, dishes, cleaning products, all add up to more money than the cost of what is actually being served to the customer.

[Pannonian]

In other words, "I do not want to pay proper to my employees, so I will make customers pay for me". I hate this tip culture with a passion and I am glad it is a rarity around here. I will only pay tip, when I think the service was beyond my expectation. Not to fucking mention that the price you pay for the food also includes the expenses for the staff.

The worst part is when you go to USA and other places, you are forced to fucking pay it...



Why not tip in burger restaurants? They probably earn less than the ones who work in those "real" restaurants, why not pay tip?

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This tipping business satisfy different inferiority complex, from need to feel at higher levels of social strata (social status) to god knows what.

Tipping should be banned. Period. Waiters should join a fucking union or something, so that their rights are protected.

At least here, a tip is seen for the service itself.

There is a difference between a waiter waiting you at the table and a cashier. I mean the big self-servide ones (McD, Burgerking) not a small burger joint that serves at the table.

[Kuntantee]

At least here, a tip is seen for the service itself.

There is a difference between a waiter waiting you at the table and a cashier. I mean the big self-servide ones (McD, Burgerking) not a small burger joint that serves at the table.

The waiter gets paid for waiting you, cashier gets paid for making the transaction, registering the order whatnot. Both are paid poorly, the latter is probably paid much worse. Do you tip your hair dresser? Or the staff that helps you try out new shoes? Let me remind you those work in shoe store wait you as well, if that's your metric for paying the tip.



Don't get me wrong, I pay tip too, although I hate it, not because I am cheap but because the norm is fucking absurd. Tipping is the biggest obstacle between food industry workers and proper salary.

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And if it is so fucking impossible to pay waiters proper salary and be profitable, just incorporate the diff into the actual price. At least, that way, I won't feel I am paying the tip...

[P for Pancetta]

You do not understand the overhead involved in food service. The cost of a bottle of wine is not the same as the cost of serving that wine to you in an establishment. Soda has a big markup for sure, but if buying a bag of syrup is so cheap, why do not all soda drinkers buy it by the bag and have a soda dispenser in their home? It is actually a very expensive undertaking. Venue cost, liability insurance costs, liquor licensing, taxes, dishes, cleaning products, all add up to more money than the cost of what is actually being served to the customer.

Hogwash, there is a massive markup on foods and drinks and there are massive profits to be made, the only thing that really presses this profit if the place serves quality food and exposure is rent. It’s a real issue in many big cities like New York where there are more people looking for a venue then there are venues. Many owners estimate the average profits made in the area and price their rent accordingly fully well realizing that a new business will rarely succeed in making a profit, but they don’t care because by the end of the year as the business has gone under new people will be lining up for the place and the rent will have gone up some more.

I got a few friends in the business two own their own restaurants and one is a chef at a very successful one, all of them make enough to be considered rich by any standard. The only downside (in my opinion) is that they work around 10-12 hours a day, 6 days a week and even on their free day they often have to do a few things to prepare for the next week.

[Kuntantee]

I notice that too, I will tip servers, I will tip deliverymen, I even tip the girl that cuts my hair. I will never tip someone for ringing me up food or serving me a cup of coffee. (looking at you starbucks)

That's only fair. If you tip waiters, you should tip pretty much anyone.

[Pannonian]

The waiter gets paid for waiting you, cashier gets paid for making the transaction, registering the order whatnot. Both are paid poorly, the latter is probably paid much worse. Do you tip your hair dresser? Or the staff that helps you try out new shoes? Let me remind you those work in shoe store wait you as well, if that's your metric for paying the tip.



Don't get me wrong, I pay tip too, although I hate it, not because I am cheap but because the norm is fucking absurd. Tipping is the biggest obstacle between food industry workers and proper salary.

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And if it is so fucking impossible to pay waiters proper salary and be profitable, just incorporate the diff into the actual price. At least, that way, I won't feel I am paying the tip...

Not defending tipping. I'm aware that the limitations are abitrary. I still see a difference between a cashier with a 2 minute interaction/transaction and a waiter that serves you for 2+ hours.

Nonetheless, it's society. It is expected, and if i don't tip i would feel cheap.

Edit: yes i do tip for services - the delivery guy, my hairdresser, the taxi driver - they all get a tip for the service. The cashier ... depends ... if they do something extra, sure, but if they just scan my product with minimal care/interaction... why? (though even in this case, i always round up to the next full Euro divisble by two (i despise coinage, but still pay cash 95%)

[Katchii]

It's a bit sneaky of the restaurants to do this. Don't put it on your customers to have to choose whether you treat your employees well. I shouldn't have to be making moral decisions about the health of your employees if I want to eat at your place.

This is my stance.

I don't have any issues with it, in practice, but I as the customer shouldn't be the one thinking about your employees well being, PTO, health insurance, etc... that kind of stuff should be invisible to me. Not because I don't care, or don't think they deserve it, but because I'm not their boss, it's not my job to think about or deal with that stuff.

[Azadina]

Absolutely ridiculous practice, and a complete scam at that. How does anyone buy into that? The employers already have to provide those things listed. In other words, the whole thing about helping employees get this and that is a complete lie. The customer isn't helping the employees get anything. They already get that. What the customer is helping, is to refund the employer those things the employer is already paying for. Yes, that's right; the money goes directly into the bosses pocket. Employees get nothing new.

[The One Percent]

I wish I could tack on extra fees when I build something and tell my clients it's for my employees' benefits that I'm already supposed to be providing.

[Yunaqt]

In Japan they wouldn't take your money, they'd be insulted if you tried to tip them.

Yeah, unless it's for an additional service they wont take it. If it's more a gift though they will, friend gave little key ring kiwis to the tour guides which were happily accepted ^^

[Jonnusthegreat]

Any time there's a mandatory gratuity I subtract that amount from the tip I give the server. Same thing with delivery charges. It's not worth my effort to complain so I'll just do it myself.

[breadisfunny]

Any time there's a mandatory gratuity I subtract that amount from the tip I give the server. Same thing with delivery charges. It's not worth my effort to complain so I'll just do it myself.

around here most restaurants and fine dining establishments include the tip in your bill.

[Jonnusthegreat]

around here most restaurants and fine dining establishments include the tip in your bill.

Yeah I know, but a lot of times they still leave a spot for a tip. I just put 0 if they do that. Happens also if you're in a large party at lots of places too.

[Natureseer]

people sure have a lot of opinions about a business they've clearly never worked in

[Ashina]

I heard from every European that I've met they don't tip at restaurants in Europe. Is this true? I know they tip other people like delivery men.

Never tipped anyone in Europe except taxi drivers.