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This morning, New York City restaurateur Danny Meyer dropped the bombshell that his Union Square Hospitality Group will soon eliminate tipping — as Eater's Ryan Sutton points out, it's the "first time zero-gratuity will be the universal policy for a major American restaurant group." Meyer himself just Tweeted that the group reached its "(no) tipping point," and unsurprisingly, chefs, restaurateurs, food critics, and other industry insiders have also taken to social media with their hot takes.
Here now, a look at where the conversation is heading from here:
In Chicago, Nick Kokonas — restaurateur and founder of reservations system Tock, takes a bit of early credit:
Welcome to the future @dhmeyer, this is important -- glad to have USHG with us. Next stop, @Tock http://t.co/JLWkVphMAR @alinea @Gachatz
— nick kokonas (@nickkokonas) October 14, 2015
In Chicago a service charge is well defined legally. In NYC not so much. The FLSA is broken for high-end dining. This will help fix that!
— nick kokonas (@nickkokonas) October 14, 2015
Fellow New York City chef Dan Kluger, who's soon opening his own spot, approves:
Great move @dhmeyer https://t.co/PctaQk50N5
— Dan Kluger (@dan_kluger) October 14, 2015
Montreal Gazette restaurant critic Lesley Chesterman wonders if no-tipping will truly ever happen:
Will be interesting to see whether in @dhmeyer restaurants even with a no tipping policy people will keep tipping. Such an ingrained habit!
— Lesley Chesterman (@lesleychestrman) October 14, 2015
Serious Eats founder Ed Levine approves, gets a pun in:
Danny Meyer just eliminated tipping at his restaurants. There is no doubt that many other people will follow his lead. Ah, a tipping point.
— edlevine (@edlevine) October 14, 2015
LA Weekly restaurant critic Besha Rodell makes a point about lower-end dining:
Q: I made really good $$ as a low-end waitress back in the day. Would those lucrative non-fancy service jobs disappear if tipping went away?
— Besha Rodell (@BeshaRodell) October 14, 2015
I'm not super pro-tipping, but most are thinking of this from a fine dining big city perspective. Most tipped jobs in US are not either.
— Besha Rodell (@BeshaRodell) October 14, 2015
Colorado restaurant owner Annie Vick is less enthused:
Bad bad bad all around... Danny Meyer Is Eliminating All Tipping at His Restaurants http://t.co/bqcE2QRjaA via @EaterNY
— Annie M Vick (@pinocchios) October 14, 2015
Boston restaurateur Michael Moxley gives a thumbs-up:
Bravo! This will revolutionize hospitality. == Danny Meyer Is Eliminating All Tipping at His Restaurants http://t.co/DJ9CQKXKn8
— Michael Moxley (@BostonMoxley) October 14, 2015
Prolific UK food writer Bruce Palling advocates for chefs and cooks:
Smart move - Danny @dhmeyer to eliminate tips in favour of higher prices -means chefs get slice of the action too http://t.co/zrIYc87FIz
— Bruce Palling (@Bruce_Palling) October 14, 2015
The Food Network's Justin Warner was more subtle in his approval:
Hero. https://t.co/rcEPGLjRRS
— Justin Warner (@EatFellowHumans) October 14, 2015
Boston Globe restaurant critic Devra First also advocates for eliminating tipping:
Danny Meyer's elimination of tipping: It is, inevitably, the right thing to do. http://t.co/9QlremHmmu
— Devra First (@devrafirst) October 14, 2015
Madison, Wisconsin chef/restaurateur Tory Miller is a believer:
To me @dhmeyer IS hospitality, and he says this will work, so hopefully we will finally see this change happen! http://t.co/LBtDl3mDwu
— Tory Miller (@grazeletoile) October 14, 2015
