Restaurants around the U.S. are choosing to go tip free
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – How much do you tip when you eat out? Soon, it may not be your decision.
Some Portland restaurants are ditching tips, replacing them with a fixed gratuity – a pre-set amount you pay no matter what you think of your service. In a few days you’ll see a new logo in some restaurants alerting patrons to the No Tips Allowed zone.
Restaurants in Seattle, Oakland and New York City are already doing this. About a half-dozen restaurants in Portland, on both the east and west side, hiked prices on the menu about 20%. The tip is included in the price.
Restaurant owners say this is in part a response to a new minimum wage hike, and is one of the ways they’ll be able to stay in business.
But some owners, like Scott Dolich, say the transition may not be easy. Customers may see the price hike, think they wouldn’t have tipped that much, and worry about how much more they’re paying.
“That’s going to be the toughest part of what we do,” Dolich said. “We have to provide value regardless of the price point. We have to make sure customers feel like they’re getting their money’s worth when they come here.
Dolich, who owns 2 restaurants including Park Kitchen in the North Park Blocks, will banish tipping next month.
Le Pigeon goes tip-free on June 18.
By the end of the year, restaurants Navarre and Luce will be tip free.