At the start of June, the number of people eating out was already back to 2019 levels, according to data from OpenTable. The hazard Americans felt is fading. Will their hazard tipping fade as well? “The simple explanation is that there is a greater willingness among some people to tip now as opposed to before the pandemic,” says Michael Lynn, a marketing professor at Cornell University, to The Atlantic. But tip averages are falling, and in some American towns, there is a backlash against employees who didn't want to go back to work without higher pay.
So is tipping changing -- and should it change? Who should be responsible for increasing worker pay? Our guests:
- Ian Phillips, bar manager at The Owl House
- Jenson Alexis, manager of Matilda Coffee House and Kitchen
- Dominique Curry, curly hair stylist at Need Salon and Spa