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Why The Fuss About Tipping?

In the food and beverage service industry, discussion or even mention of tipping is guaranteed to garner a heated reaction. In the United States, tipping is a deeply rooted practice with a long and fraught history. Subject to ongoing legal and social debate, the future of tipping is undecided though a growing cadre of critics and industry workers are pushing for a change to the practice.

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Anela Malik
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    • Service Industry
    • Food & Dining
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    • Tipping
Why The Fuss About Tipping?
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10 stories in this Storyboard

    How We Got Here

    Tipping in America is a social practice rooted in slavery, specifically post-emancipation attitudes where diners and businesses moved to avoid paying newly freed Black workers. Though a widespread practice today, tipping as industry standard was not always a foregone conclusion. It has faced waves of successive pushback since the early 1900s.

    ‘It’s the Legacy of Slavery’: Here’s the Troubling History Behind Tipping Practices in the U.S.

    ‘It’s the Legacy of Slavery’: Here’s the Troubling History Behind Tipping Practices in the U.S.

    These days, the expectation at U.S. restaurants that diners will tip their servers is a key part of the culinary economy: tips subsidize a server or bartender’s salary at the vast majority of the nearly 650,000 restaurants in the country. But tipping wasn’t always part of the U.S. dining landscape — …

    The Racist History of Tipping

    The Racist History of Tipping

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    POLITICO - By REV. DR. WILLIAM J. BARBER II

    This week, the House of Representatives will have a chance to end a pernicious legacy of slavery. Lawmakers will vote on the Raise the Wage Act, which would boost the minimum wage across the country to $15 an hour by 2024. This would be a crucial step toward the first federal minimum wage increase …

    The Case AgainsT Tipping

    Opponents of tipping argue that the practice perpetuates a racialized class structure and widens the opportunity gap between white and BIPOC workers as well as front and back of house staff. In addition, issues of racism, sexual harassment, and worker exploitation remain serious concerns with tipped food and beverage service positions.

    Why Tipping Is Bad for America

    Why Tipping Is Bad for America

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    Eater - Vince Dixon

    When a night at a restaurant or bar finally comes to a close, most Americans engage in an instinctive ritual. They dig into their wallets, fiddle with their smartphone calculators, and then decide how much money to give their server or bartender for a job well done. Tipping, while practiced around …

    Today's Tipping Climate

    The pandemic has further complicated the discussion of tipping, though opponents argue that the disruption of COVID-19 offers an opportunity to remake parts of the service industry, including tipping. As some restaurants try to navigate a post-tipping reality, diner pushback has become a concern as many diners reject higher costs for menu items. Enter service charges as a way to manage customer perception. In addition, not all industry workers are happy to leave tipping behind.

    Is This the End of Tipping? (Published 2021)

    Is This the End of Tipping? (Published 2021)

    On a hot night last summer, Shelly Ortiz gulped down water, put on two masks and tried to muster the excitement she used to feel heading into work at the Clever Koi, a hip ramen-and-cocktail spot in Phoenix. She loved the banter with co-workers, and the regular customers whose orders she’d …

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