Why Some US Restaurants Are Getting Rid of Tipping (No-Tip Policy Explained)
A growing number of US restaurants are ditching tipping altogether, folding labor costs directly into menu prices instead. San Francisco's La Cigale is one of the latest examples: a fixed $140 per person, no tip expected, with wine staff paid a guaranteed $40 an hour. The move reflects a longer-running debate in American dining over whether tipping is still a fair way to pay restaurant workers. What's happening At La Cigale in San Francisco, diners pay a flat $140 per person for a set menu and nothing more — no tip line, no percentage math at checkout. The restaurant instead pays its wine staff a fixed $40 hourly wage, regardless of how busy the night is or how generous customers feel. The pitch to diners is simple: the price on the menu is the price you pay. Background: why tipping is under pressure Tipping has long been the backbone of server pay in the US, often making up the majority of a front-of-house worker's income. But it comes with structural problems. Ear...