A 20% tip is the norm at Manhattan restaurants (some restaurants in tourist-heavy areas even go so far as to include
But 14-year-old Japanese restaurant, Sushi Yasuda, is breaking the mold and banning tips altogether, reports food critic Ryan Sutton on his blog, The Price Hike.
Instead of a tip line, patrons now see this message at the bottom of their bill:
'Following the custom in Japan, Sushi Yasuda’s service staff are fully compensated by their salary. Therefore gratuities are not accepted. Thank you.”
"We are just taking tipping out of the equation,” explained restaurant owner Scott Rosenberg.
But even though diners can get away without tipping, they aren't exactly getting a cheaper meal. Rosenberg has also raised the prices on menu items to make up for his no-tip policy.
Daisy Chung, executive director for Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York, a nonprofit that supports restaurant workers, told ABC News they're totally behind the idea.
“It started a good conversation about tips and restaurant compensation,” Chung said. “We definitely feel there shouldn’t be a separate system where tip workers rely on tips to subsidize their wages ... Workers should be fully compensated.”
Rosenberg hasn't revealed how much his waitstaff are paid, but his restaurant is no dive. A meal for two at Sushi Yasuda could easily top $200 (Yelp gives it four $ signs) — and potentially net a sizeable tip for a friendly waiter or waitress. Hopefully, their new salary is making up for the difference.