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chasing the next tip. "We want to have the
best-trained, most-informed beer hall staff in
the country in America," he said. "To do that,
we have to have people who want some real
stability and who are looking to stay around for
a while."
The National Restaurant Association opposes
any raise in the minimum wage, defends tipping
as "engrained in our American culture," and
maintains that if restaurant owners are forced
to pay workers more, the cost of dining out
will rise and restaurants will close or hire
fewer workers. If menu prices increase to pay
employees roughly what they would lose in tips,
there is no increase in cost to the business or
the customer. Customers are instead putting
the same money toward a more stable income
for employees by essentially transferring tips to
the cost of the meal. Dozens of countries (dare
I say, most countries?) outside the U.S. that do
not rely on tipping to pay workers are proof
that this model works.
As Andrew Kopplin puts it, "If it costs
more, charge more. If our shop were only
sustainable with tips, it would be a ridiculous
business model." The proof is in the (coffee)
pudding. Six months in, the Kopplin's Coffee
no-tipping model feels normal. The shop's
regulars are still around, and new customers
are coming in as well.
ILLUSTRATION
BY
JACK
POLLOCK
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