The CEO of one of America’s largest restaurant chains is eliminating tips for waiters and waitresses at 13 of its New York restaurants.
The controversial move was announced by Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group, on Wednesday.
Meyer was motivated to eliminate tips because he believes the practice of tipping is unfair to the kitchen staff. Specifically the cooks who toil over hot stoves and generally do most of the key work in restaurants.
Meyer released this statement explaining his decision:
Recently, our entire company has been engaged in a robust conversation about how we can provide even more meaningful career opportunities and advancement for our 1,800 employees. It has become increasingly clear to us that a major obstacle in this endeavor is the practice of tipping.
There are countless laws and regulations that determine which positions in a restaurant may, and may not share in gratuities. We believe hospitality is a team sport, and that it takes an entire team to provide you with the experiences you have come to expect from us. Unfortunately, many of our colleagues — our cooks, reservationists, and dishwashers to name a few — aren’t able to share in our guests’ generosity, even though their contributions are just as vital to the outcome of your experience at one of our restaurants.
