American eateries devise systems to replace tipping
Some raise their prices, others impose a service charge. But these don't always work
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Seattle
RESTAURANT owners, customers and staff have long railed against the tyranny of tipping, but like a love affair gone bad, it has proved difficult to quit. Now, prompted by a spurt of new minimum-wage proposals in major cities, more restaurateurs are experimenting with no-tipping policies to manage rising labour costs.
In Seattle, where the first stage of a US$15-an-hour minimum wage law took effect in April, Ivar's seafood restaurants switched to an all-inclusive menu. By raising prices 21 per cent and ending tipping, Bob C. Donegan, president and co-owner, figured he could raise his workers' wages.
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