Tipping remains a deeply rooted part of U.S. restaurant culture. According to Wikipedia, Albania might be another nation where tipping is expected to a similar extent as in the U.S. In many other countries, gratuities are either not expected (though they may be welcomed) or even considered an insult.
The problem with tipping is that it undermines equality, say some restaurateurs, as front-of-house employees can earn much more than back-of-house workers, such as kitchen staff. Moreover, customers can be judgmental, rewarding some employees more generously based on factors such as race, gender or appearance.
As a result, a small number of establishments across the U.S. are gradually abandoning the practice in favor of fixed wages for staff. The trade-off, however, is higher menu prices to cover additional costs and taxes, as tips are generally not treated as restaurant revenue, while higher menu prices are, the BBC reported.
For some waiters, this may be a disadvantage, particularly if they are used to earning substantial amounts in tips. Still, for the average worker, the new system can provide greater financial stability by reducing dependence on customers’ generosity.
However, eliminating tips can create problems of its own. Customers may perceive restaurants as more expensive when service costs are incorporated into menu prices, even if the final bill is similar to what they would have paid after adding a tip.
Talulla, a restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts, eliminated tipping in 2020 and raised menu prices by 23% to support more equitable wages. It eventually returned to tipping after finding the model difficult to sustain. In the U.S., restaurants with higher prices can still appear less competitive than establishments where customers are expected to add a gratuity afterward.
Even as more and more U.S. customers report so-called «tipping fatigue,» citing an expanding range of services requesting gratuities, the practice of tipping is unlikely to disappear. Any serious move to change that would require American restaurants to raise prices visibly, absorb additional costs and persuade customers and employees to accept a different approach. Meanwhile, customers in the U.K. complain that American tipping culture is gaining ground in local pubs, suggesting that the battle over tipping is far from over.
