Eat at Joe's for social justice!

Joe's Crab Shack to end tipping.

[Robin Garr]

Well, good for Joe's. I have to admit that I didn't see this movement coming first from the corporate sector, but it gives me good feelz.

As for "social justice," see the attached meme ...

Do servers want an end to tipping? I've not really heard enough from this side of the argument.

[Robin Garr]

Do servers want an end to tipping? I've not really heard enough from this side of the argument.

I'm going to guess that the lower the price point of the eatery, the more the servers favor minimum wage. A good server can get well at a classy, high-end place. At a diner, not so much. To me, that's one of the great hidden inequities of the system. Doing essentially similar work earns dramatically different tip income depending on the size of the average check, with a multiplier for fancy.

My waiters would revolt! We pay the kitchen well so I don't feel the need to change things, especially when everybody is happy.

My waiters would revolt! We pay the kitchen well so I don't feel the need to change things, especially when everybody is happy.

Here is the issue that no one seems to mention when talking about this, in the best of businesses a good line cook will top out at about $12-13/hr. If they're starting servers out at $12/hr, you're going to lose a lot of really good line cooks. Servers and bartenders already make way more than their boh counterparts for work that isn't even slightly as hard, demanding, or physically and mentally taxing. So just imagine when those guys and gals in the kitchen learn this brand new, inexperienced server makes more than them and they've been doing this five years. That's not gonna fly. Also, profit margins are going to shrink and companies will pass the cost on to the consumer. They're certainly not going to settle for a 4% decrease in revenue just to pay a bartender a "fair" wage.

Do servers want an end to tipping? I've not really heard enough from this side of the argument.

I'm going to guess that the lower the price point of the eatery, the more the servers favor minimum wage. A good server can get well at a classy, high-end place. At a diner, not so much. To me, that's one of the great hidden inequities of the system. Doing essentially similar work earns dramatically different tip income depending on the size of the average check, with a multiplier for fancy.

We don't eat at high-end places because of the costs. Also, because it never seems fair that someone can work fewer tables with more support and earn $20 on $100 table whereas, lunch time servers can run around like crazy and are lucky to make $30 total at a lot of places. Because service can be so bad - no, not counting kitchen delays - that we find ourselves eating out less and less each year. I realize we miss some awesome food/experiences but can't justify it. We will splurge maybe 3 times a year because of an occasion. We sold our house and moved this past year and were going to celebrate at Jeff Ruby's because we have never eaten at that steak house. Still haven't gone and we moved Oct. 2014. Louisville is a busy place to live:-)

Service is different at every restaurant or bar. I think Louisville has always very inconsistent service. That's why we sit at the bar or get food to go. And that's why we sit downstairs at el Mundo....and yes we do still tip something at the register. Apocalypse. Food trucks.....We like the food. We just don't like the service part of it.

Ellen

I don't mind them adding the tip to the ticket.

Someone made the point of a server at a high-end restaurant and low-end diner get tipped differently for the same amount of work.

How is that different from a basic financial planner? Guy goes in with $100,000 and invests in a mutual fund will pay 10X the fees as the guy that goes in with $10,000 and invests in the same fund.....same amount of work.

[Robin Garr]

I don't mind them adding the tip to the ticket.

Someone made the point of a server at a high-end restaurant and low-end diner get tipped differently for the same amount of work.

How is that different from a basic financial planner? Guy goes in with $100,000 and invests in a mutual fund will pay 10X the fees as the guy that goes in with $10,000 and invests in the same fund.....same amount of work.

Just for the sake of the debate, I'd say that the financial planner probably isn't being paid below minimum wage.

And unless the financial planner is a saint, my cynical side might question whether the guy with the $10K investment gets the same level of kowtowing as his richer brother.