Friends, I heard an ugly rumor and I would like some clarification. I was having lunch with an Indian friend about 3 months ago. He offered to pick up the tab, and when he saw my expression when he didn't leave a tip, he told me that he had friends who worked at Shalimar and stated the owner(s) keep all the tips.
My main question: has anyone heard about this, and is this true? I would like to hear from either current or former employees of Shalimar, or the owner - let's say "he" for simplicity's sake. My first concerns is whether or not he is breaking the law. If he only pays the staff the tip wage, then I would suggest he is definitely breaking the law. If he isn't, then at least he should let the patrons know this is happening. I leave tips with the expectation that the server will receive it, or at least the server pool is getting it, and I am sure others do as well.
At the least, I want to know to know that my tip money is going to the person who serves me.