NYC Restaurant Eliminates Tips for Servers
Have you ever gone to a restaurant and agonized over how much of a tip to leave? Well, an eatery in New York City has decided to save you the trouble by completely eliminating tips and paying staff salary plus benefits instead.
At Manhattan sushi restaurant Sushi Yasuda, tips aren't allowed. Instead, the restaurant charges an extra 15%, which goes to servers in the form of wages and benefits like paid vacation and sick leave.
According to co-owner Scott Rosenberg, the price increase actually ends up costing customers roughly the same amount if they were to tip.
"What our customers find is that they’re essentially paying the same, maybe a touch less, because we’re a little more conservative about how we adjusted our prices," he said.
Rosenberg said the ban on tips frees customers from the hassle of figuring out how much to leave, creating a dining experience that's more in line with what happens in Japan.
"The diner doesn't [have to] think about how much to leave and make calculations [after] a contemplative and special meal," he said. "We're really sort of just staying connected to that classical approach [of fine Japanese dining]."
Still, old habits die hard and some patrons are still leaving tips behind, even though receipts clearly state that gratuities aren't accepted. When this happens, Rosenberg has vowed to return all extra money.
What do you think of the restaurant's ban on tipping? Should other fine dining establishments follow suit?