In America, tipping in restaurants is common. The tip is usually based on the amount of the bill. Around the country, tipping averages 15 percent of the bill. The 15 percent tip is creeping up to 20 percent. As the cost of the meal goes up, so does the size of the tips. Servers in expensive restaurants usually earn more. That is because the meals in such restaurants cost more. In most restaurants, servers earn much more than the people who prepare food. There is a problem with tipping. It is the idea “that someone would only be nice to you if they expect a generous tip.” 

      A debate about tipping is starting in the U.S. The man who started the debate is Danny Meyer. He owns a number of eateries in New York City. Meyer said, “Tipping is a drug, and we need to break the habit.” He says tipping forces diners to end every meal with a math test. He says tipping puts servers at the mercy of customers who are cranks and cheapskates. Foreign tourists might not even know the custom and might leave no tip at all.

       Meyer sees restaurants as complex worlds. Employees, customers, suppliers, investors and the larger community fuse into a “virtuous circle.” Meyer has started his new “Hospitality Included” program in a few of his restaurants. The jury is still out on whether or not his program works. Meyer says, “Restaurants are like a public square. They are family for the people who work there and dine there. That is true also for the people who grow products and make wines. You have got to understand that everyone has a stake in the game.” On the business side, minimum wages are going up around the country. Restaurants have to raise prices. Meyer has already raised his prices. He is better able to absorb the changes. His vision is big. One good thing is that the entire staff benefits from more revenue coming into the business. In his restaurants, cooks and dishwashers got raises.

       The whole business of tips is not easy to figure out. Are tips income to the business or the server? Why do servers and not cooks get the benefit? Meyer solves a lot of these problems by adding a service fee to the bill. His idea has not spread very far. Old habits are hard to break.