If you work in a restaurant in the United States, you know that you rely on the kindness of your customers to make your living and pay your bills. Restaurants in the U.S. pay less than $3 per hour to their hardworking employees and they get away with it. Being a server is extremely hard work and stressful as well. The companies put profit over their employees and paying a living wage. The American tipping culture puts the burden of the employee’s wages on the customer and the companies reap the profits. One huge restaurant chain has come under fire as a result of this practice.
Some restaurants charge a minimum gratuity automatically, so not only are they forcing the customers to make sure the restaurant employees make a living wage, but they’re also unethical about it. This practice has resulted in a lawsuit filed by a man who is waging war on the Cheesecake Factory, one of America’s most popular restaurant chains. For decades, the appropriate tipping amount in the U.S. has been 15%, but in recent years, there has been pressure to give bigger tips, sometimes up to 25%, depending on the service and the quality of the restaurant. For example, higher-end restaurant servers usually expect a higher tip.
Essentially, because of the shady practices of the restaurant industry, customers are having to subsidize the employees’ wages to cover the cost of living increases. Marcel Goldman has challenged Cheesecake Factor’s “suggested gratuity” amount after an experience with a $35.50 bill at his area Cheesecake Factory. While out dining with a group of friends, they split the check. The tip recommended was 20% of the total bill before the check was split. So for his own bill, Goldman was being suggested to tip $15.40 and it should have been $7.70, he says. He filed a class-action lawsuit to address the chain’s practice.
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