After Batali Bust, Arguments for and Against Tipping Out


The judge in the case said employees were told that "the money was to cover expenses related to wine research and to cover broken glassware." Huh? Isn't wine markup is supposed to cover those costs?

What makes this story interesting, apart from the schadenfreude Batali’s critics must feel, is how it dredges up the controversy over waiters "tipping out" other service staff. After all, restaurants use tips to augment the salaries of bussers and bartenders all the time. How is deducting a percentage from the pool essentially different from creating an environment where tipping out, while technically voluntary, is mandatory in practice?

While enforced tip pooling is a violation of the law in some states, it's still customary in plenty of establishments. That's especially true in places where the law is murky (in California, for instance, there's a lot of confusion over the legality of the practice). Where it does happen, it boils down to this: Do servers own their tips, or should they share them with the entire staff of a restaurant? Diners tip the waiter directly, it’s true, but are they really rewarding just one worker’s performance, or the broader experience of an entire meal? It’s a controversial subject—even here at, where the subject sparked a point-counterpoint debate.

POINT: Don’t tip out! by Joyce Slaton


I know that tipping out is a tradition, but it verges on fraud. You are taking money a diner left for a specific purpose, and distributing it without that diner's knowledge or consent. I will concede that it's unfair that waiters are tipped and other types of servers are not. At one restaurant where I worked, the bar staff delivered drinks to the tables and billed diners separately so they were tipped. I'm not sure diners liked having to pay an extra check, but at least it seemed fair to workers.

Bussers and kitchen staff are among the many, many types of service people who don't get tips. It's not fair, but it's tradition. Believe me, I know they work hard, but so does my dry cleaner. So do grocery checkers, and the guy who runs the convenience store near my house. Should we just tip everybody we see in a retail business?


COUNTERPOINT: It’s about fairness! by John Birdsall



When diners tip, they're not just tipping the service. A well-paced meal has plenty to do with a waiter's skill, but it can’t happen without a well-run kitchen. When line cooks are firing as they should, the server looks good. Same with bussers who clear and pour water, dishwashers who bust ass to make sure there isn't a lag with clean glasses. Tipping out is an acknowledgment of the truth of food service, which is that, from top to bottom, a restaurant staff is a team. Paying some players Kobe wages while the rest get league minimum—that’s a crime. Until we adopt a European system, where gratuities are automatic and distributed to staff, I say waiters have an ethical obligation to tip out!


Image source: Flickr member cafemama under Creative Commons