NYC Restaurant Eliminates Tips for Servers

Have you ever gone to a restaurant and agonized over how much of a tip to leave? Well, an eatery in New York City has decided to save you the trouble by completely eliminating tips and paying staff salary plus benefits instead.

At Manhattan sushi restaurant Sushi Yasuda, tips aren't allowed. Instead, the restaurant charges an extra 15%, which goes to servers in the form of wages and benefits like paid vacation and sick leave. So, as far as the customer goes, isn't that sort of like leaving a tip anyway? And would the server rather have the cash in their pocket, or benefits?

The manager said the ban on tips frees customers from the hassle of figuring out how much to leave, creating a dining experience that's more in line with what happens in Japan.

"The diner doesn't [have to] think about how much to leave and make calculations [after] a contemplative and special meal," he said. "We're really sort of just staying connected to that classical approach [of fine Japanese dining]."

Still, some patrons are still leaving tips behind, even though receipts clearly state that gratuities aren't accepted. When this happens, they have vowed to return all extra money. Seems like a lot of work.

When I traveled to London a few years ago, I tried to tip the server in a pub. Some of the locals told me not to worry about it, but it just didn't seem right. I tipped her anyway. Old habits die hard.

Would you be comfortable paying the extra 15% instead of tipping at a restaurant?