Restaurant owner Danny Meyer eliminates tipping

[brooklynite]

Dear Friends,

I am writing to share some important news about Union Square Hospitality Group that we want you to understand before your next visit to one of our restaurants.

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.

After a thoughtful, company-wide dialogue, I’m proud to let you know that Union Square Hospitality Group will eliminate tipping throughout our family of restaurants. Starting at The Modern in late November, you will no longer find a tip line on your check, and there will be no need to leave additional cash at the table, the coat check, or the bar. Our other New York restaurants will make this change over the course of the next year.

Once these changes are implemented, the total cost you pay to dine with us won’t differ much from what you pay now. But for our teams, the change will be significant. We will now have the ability to compensate all of our employees equitably, competitively, and professionally. And by eliminating tipping, our employees who want to grow financially and professionally will be able to earn those opportunities based on the merit of their work.

We are making a bold decision for our team and our guests, and we don’t take this lightly. We encourage you to share your thoughts and feedback at a Town Hall Meeting we're hosting for guests on November 2nd at 7:30pm in the Martha Washington Hotel. Space is limited, so please RSVP here. You can also email us your questions at [email protected].

We remain more committed than ever to our promise of delivering excellent dining experiences with warm hospitality—and we hope that you will both support our team and join us on this journey.

With gratitude,

Danny Meyer

[leveymg]

1. Are they simply going to add 15% to each check? If not, the customer will wait her own table?

Because nobody else is going to.

[whatthehey]

4. Strangely, most of the rest of the world manages to have wait staff and no tipping

You missed the part about equitable compensation?

[leveymg]

5. There's no rule that says Mr Meyer can't give his cooks and dishwashers an equitable raise.

But, if he owns a successful Manhattan restaurant, the wait staff and bartenders probably do better with tips.

[stevenleser]

7. Yep. Best service I've ever had is in countries with no tipping.

It rarely works in the servers favor here.

[brooklynite]

2. I'm guessing the service charge will be baked into the price of each item

Danny Meyer's restaurant are somewhat high-end, so nobody's going to notice the difference between a $32 and $35 steak.

[Omaha Steve]

3. Thay have a "MARTA" in NYC!

K&R!

http://www.ushgnyc.com/family/restaurants/


Here is the Marta: http://www.ushgnyc.com/family/restaurants/marta/

Marta is a lively new restaurant from Chef Nick Anderer, inspired by the tradition of rustic Roman pizzerie, the local haunts that churn out thin, crackly-crusted pizzas into the late hours of the evening. Located at the Martha Washington hotel in the growing neighborhood north of Madison Square Park, Marta reimagines and invents thin-crust pizzas both classic and new, and celebrates the Italian tradition of cooking seasonal specials “alle brace”—over open embers. Marta is open throughout the day, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week.
HOURS OF OPERATION

Monday-Friday
Breakfast: 7:00am–10:30am
Coffee & Pastries: 10:30am-12:00pm
Lunch: 12:00pm-3:00pm
Pizza & Dessert: 3:00pm-5:00pm
Dinner: 5:00pm-11:30pm

Saturday-Sunday
Coffee & Pastries: 7:00am-11:00am
Brunch: 11am-3:00pm
Pizza & Dessert: 3:00pm-5:00pm
Dinner: 5:00pm-11:30pm

Marta
FOLLOW MARTA


ADDRESS
29 East 29th Street
New York, NY 10016
SEE MAP

[KamaAina]

6. This is already a trend in the Bay Area

one place calls it "sustainable serving".

[leveymg]

8. Sustainable Serving by equitably compensated Free Range Wait Staff. Oh, Brave New World.

One less calculation and ethical burden on the business elites who can afford to dine out in SF and Manhattan establishments.

Like driving a Tesla to be green while living in a 4,000 square foot penthouse.

[KamaAina]

11. The restaurant in question is in Oakland.

[Iggo]

9. And how exactly are they going to stop me from tipping?

Other than refusing to serve me, that is.

[Egnever]

10. My only question is will the wait staff's wages be raised to compensate.

Regardless of the restaurant policy on tipping the waiters and bartenders will have to declare on their income taxes as if they received tips.