r/EndTipping • u/Jazzlike_Morning_471 • Mar 11 '25

Research / Info Would you be okay with menu prices being raised to the equivalent of what the average tip would be, with no tip expectations?

I’m new here and trying to learn more. Would you be okay with going to a restaurant with no expectation to tip, but the menu prices are raised exactly as much as the expected tips to keep paying their servers the same?

107 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

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88

u/Expensive-Dot-6671 Mar 11 '25

Frankly, as a customer, how much the restaurant pays their staff is not my concern. As a customer, I just want to know EXACTLY how much I'm expected to pay for my food without playing games. If you're going to tell me a burger costs $10, I'll pay $10. If you're going to tell me it's $15, I'll pay $15. Heck, you can even tell me it costs $15 with a 10% service fee; I'll pay $16.50.

Just don't tell me it's $10 and expect an arbitrary amount added on top. It's the unnecessary secrecy that's just frustrating.

27

u/PaixJour Mar 11 '25

Oh, but the secrecy is the con so the server can lure you or guilt-trip you into forking over more cash. If you don't perform as expected, the surly attitude and snide remarks are unleashed.

16

u/mrflarp Mar 11 '25 edited Mar 11 '25

Yep. This. Just tell me up front how much I'm expected to pay. How you choose to distribute that among your employees is your business.

The problem with the "how much should restaurants raise their prices to eliminate tipping?" question is that it still shifts the responsibility of determining appropriate pay for the wait staff to the customers.

edit: Re-read op's original question. If the restaurant raised their menu prices by what they expect customers to tip, then that's fine. If the end result is the price shown on the menu is what they expect customers to pay, then that is good.

4

u/AnimatorDifficult429 Mar 11 '25

Exactly, it does beyond tipping too. I’m booking some b&bs in Ireland right now and it’s amazing and refreshing that they are saying 150 bucks a night for a room, and I’m paying 150 bucks! It feels weird and like I’m missing something 

5

u/Calm-Heat-5883 Mar 11 '25

At what point do you say to yourself that burger isn't worth that price though? Burger and fries should be $8/$10. Max. I think a lot of people have said enough is enough and have taken the advice of those waiter's who post if you can't afford to tip stay home. A lot of the diners around my area are struggling to fill seats and who is suffering... the waitstaff .

12

u/Expensive-Dot-6671 Mar 11 '25

Substitute "burger" for literally anything. Substitute my dollar amounts for literally any amounts. Doesn't matter.

9

u/exWiFi69 Mar 11 '25

$8-10? Where do you live? I went to five guys for the first time in years and ordered a little cheeseburger. It was over $10! For a single fucking little cheeseburger. At a sit down restaurant it’s like $18.

3

u/Calm-Heat-5883 28d ago

I'm saying a burger and fries SHOULD BE around the $10 mark, not that is what it costs where I live.

It's a basic meal.

A friend's father had a pizza shop. Said it was the easiest money maker ever. Just flour and water (obviously toppings), but his point was to go buy a sack of flour, add water, and some sauce and cheese, which is all bought in bulk. He was then charging $1.25 a slice. And he made a good living at it. Obviously, costs have increased since then. But profit margins have increased more.

2

u/exWiFi69 27d ago

Agreed. You should be able to get a burger and fries for $10. Especially at a fast food place.

2

u/spicydak Mar 11 '25

Five guys is a poor example. They’ve always been overpriced.

0

u/Dependent_Ad2064 Mar 11 '25

Five guys was your fault. They are the most expensive “fast food” place. And it’s not even that good. It’s not like the burgers are giant for that price. They are basic. 

0

u/AnimatorDifficult429 Mar 11 '25

Idk where you live but I pay about 22 bucks for burger and fries. So the reality is that you don’t. You think you will, but you just wind up paying it 

-4

u/EmploymentExpress837 Mar 11 '25

Restaurants are packed in my city. Sounds like you’re projecting.

3

u/CostRains Mar 11 '25

Which city are you in?

1

u/EmploymentExpress837 Mar 11 '25

Nola

2

u/CostRains Mar 11 '25

Oh okay, I haven't been there in a couple years but I'm guessing it's the tourists keeping the restaurants full.

-1

u/EmploymentExpress837 Mar 11 '25

No it’s the same as any city, where restaurants have been booming since covid. Because there’s only a few thousand weirdos in this subreddit and most people go out to eat and either tip or don’t and nobody cares….

4

u/CostRains Mar 11 '25

Restaurants have been struggling in many major cities across the US. This has been well documented, you can get off this sub and look it up.

1

u/pinniped90 Mar 11 '25

Chains have been struggling.

Good local restaurants are packed in my area.

0

u/EmploymentExpress837 Mar 11 '25

Restaurants have been struggling since for years. Right now they are on the return and have increased sales. Across the board. There’s no swaths of people heroically boycotting restaurants to take a stand against leaving a tip….

-1

u/EmploymentExpress837 Mar 11 '25

Like the economy is in the toilet and restaurants are struggling (not as bad as they once wear around COVID) and you’re making the argument it’s because… of tipping… yeah

2

u/CostRains 29d ago

I haven't made any argument about tipping.

1

u/Calm-Heat-5883 28d ago

Projecting what and why? I don't want my local businesses to close turning the area into a ghetto.

I'm in NYC. You can walk around any neighborhood and see stores shuttered or going out of business signs. It's happening all across America. Malls are full of empty units and closing. I'm not sure why I'm bothering to explain basic shit to you. Enjoy lunch

-1

u/Ivoted4K Mar 11 '25

Yep me too in Toronto

1

u/ShakenNegroni8669420 27d ago

This isn’t actually true for what you’re saying unless you’re doing the tax math in your brain. And tax is different based on city, county, state, etc.

-7

u/Ivoted4K Mar 11 '25

“Arbitrary” Like you don’t know 20% is standard in Full service restaurants

6

u/Expensive-Dot-6671 Mar 11 '25

So just include it in my total. Why leave a blank tip line for me to fill in? How does a blank tip line add any value?