On the way to discovering the how’s and whys of tipping I was able to discern some of the pros and cons with a little more clarity and I’ve boiled down to three major points that I’ll discuss in this episode on how changing the tipping culture can help re-structure restaurants into a healthier business that is less vulnerable to failure.

First up is the staff. The people who make the restaurant happen every day. Let’s unpack some of the issues and see if it will ever be possible for the American restaurant industry to be a workplace with the wages, benefits and defined career paths to management or ownership that other industries are able to offer. Some larger restaurant companies are well on their way to offer these opportunities. But it’s still a rare and nearly impossible practice for the small chain or independent. My hope is to see the restaurant business taking the opportunity at this moment to go through a period of re-building post pandemic. I’ll try to point to a possible course that may give an answer, setting the industry in the direction of the “new normal” greatly discussed in March of 2020 when the pandemic brought this 355-billion-dollar business to a screeching halt.

Music;

I've Found My Way - Hallman

Sosso - Magnus Ludvigsson

Keep Showing Up - John T. Graham