Traveler's Edition
For any tourist visiting the US, probably the biggest source of concern and anxiety is the tipping culture.
All of a sudden every meal time transforms into an epic Math session, and a battle of the minds between all diners. Who will be the first to figure out the correct answer to this food bill?
But the most depressing part of the whole stressful situation in the pang of shame you feel when you reach for the calculator app on your iPhone and realise you’ve completely lost the ability to do basic mental arithmetic. The shame!
However, the tipping culture could be on its way out. In New York City some restaurant establishments have already adopted this movement. The union Square Hospitality Group, which operates 13 restaurants announced on Wednesday it will remove tipping from its establishments.
The group have enforced this in order to eliminate pay discrepancies between front of house workers and those in the kitchen. The move will also allow more career development for their 1,800 workers.
The menu prices will increase to accommodate the rise in staff’s wages – as expected.
Although this movement will allow their staff more wage progression it will only add to the confusion tourist’s face when visiting American dining establishment: to tip or not to tip will be always be the question.
