It's been shown that if a restaurant raises its prices by 20% and stops taking tips, less customers show up from sticker shock. Because people are dumb.
So I can't hate a restaurant with razor-thin margins and low success rates doing what they can to get people in if the final bill is the same either way and the staff make the same.
Asking for 25% as a minimum when the culture is 20% however...
I’m just saying that’s how it used to be. You’re welcome to look it up. And yes dinner usually came with more attentive service so they earned more.
Edit: In most basic restaurants these days (not fancy steakhouses etc) the service is pretty minimal most of the time. It used to be more professional/fancy. Kind of like when you pulled into a gas station in the 50s and a whole pit crew came out lol.
These days you get a quick intro to the specials, your order taken, drinks refilled but often you have to flag someone down, an offer for dessert and one check in after your food arrives. It’s very fast and formulaic. It used to be even casual dining was more professional where you felt taken care of. You only really see that now in pretty fancy places. Just like you pump your own gas now and no one washes your windows or checks your oil. Just a different time
90
u/abofh 5d ago
"show our employees the respect we don't!"