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My buddy convinced me that tipping culture is broken, not the workers
I always thought tipping was just part of eating out, no big deal. But last week my friend Sarah, who waited tables for 5 years in Austin, broke it down for me. She said servers get paid like $2.13 an hour federally, and tips are supposed to cover the rest. That got me thinking why we let restaurants off the hook for paying fair wages. She pointed out how in other countries like Japan, service is included and nobody tips, yet the food costs the same. It hit me that the system is designed to make customers feel guilty instead of holding businesses accountable. Now I still tip well but I'm way more annoyed at the restaurant owners who rely on it. Has anyone else had a conversation that totally flipped how you see tipping?
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evan_campbell1mo ago
My roommate worked at a diner last year and came home furious that the owner made her split tips with the kitchen.
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In Texas @evan_campbell it's legal to pay servers $2.13 an hour plus tips, so owners pocket the savings.
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