As the industry tries to make pay more fair, efforts to end the tipping habit have been complicated by the impending raises in minimum wage in many states
“Hmmm,” was the considered opinion of a member of the wait staff at Manhattan’s Union Square Cafe last week when asked about working for a set wage, not tips. “It’s good to know how much is coming in,” the staff member later reconsidered. “Not so good if you need to make cash fast.”
A little over 18 months ago, restaurateur Danny Meyer announced that the famed cafe as well as other full-service restaurants in Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group would phase out tipping, ending a practice that Meyer said has roots in slavery. The news sparked a national discussion on tipping in a country where gratuities have embedded themselves in the national culture.
Related: The end of tipping in New York? Top restaurant group bans gratuities
Related: Top tips on tipping around the world
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