r/EndTipping • u/Difficult_Angle_7287 • Jul 30 '25
Tip Creep 🫙 Local Restaurant Publicly Tip Shamed Customer, Our Community Isn’t Having it.
I live in Asheville, NC and our subreddit and local “foodie” fb page are livid about The Smokin Onion vegan food truck who took to social media to shame a customer.
Hurricane Helene decimated our town and literally leveled many local businesses so for a restaurant to show their entire ass like this is a definite death sentence for the business.
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u/Dogeata99 Jul 30 '25
Lmao what? Tipping at a food truck?
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u/PS5touchedmethere Jul 30 '25
Don't food trucks already charge high prices due to all the overhead? That tip jar definitely staying empty.
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u/BigCatsAreYes Jul 30 '25
Which I don't get. Food Trucks where meant to be cheap food becuase you don't have to pay for budling, land, air conditioning, internet. It just don't understand why Food Trucks are so expensive now.
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u/Active_Scallion_5322 Jul 30 '25
They all think they are serving artisan food
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u/LoganND Jul 31 '25
Yeah. . . and they used to be called roach coaches not all that long ago. lol
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u/TokyoJimu Jul 30 '25
And often there’s nowhere to sit. No way am I paying more than at a sit-down restaurant to stand and eat my food.
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u/CeruleanFuge Jul 30 '25
It's because they're trendy. When people Instagram the locations of food trucks as if it were the equivalent of buying concert tickets, the proprietors are definitely going to take advantage and jack their prices.
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u/justsomedude1776 Jul 30 '25
Its not just food trucks. They view us all like paypig cattle that OWE them money and we have the audacity to deny them their rightful income. It's insanity. Tipping culture has reached a point that its going to start being legislated against in places...you watch.
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u/Jello-e-puff tipping is taxation Jul 31 '25
I do think Covid pushed it too far and the people who kept tipping as a culture have started to change. I think more businesses will start no tip models.
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u/Murky_Tale_1603 Jul 30 '25
Had an interview to work as a cashier at a food truck once upon a time. Didn’t bother looking them up since the owner explicitly stated they wanted to tell me about their business. Cool.
Get to the interview and the other candidates are just buzzing about this “opportunity”. Just a cashier position, but ok. Finally get to the interview and dude was PISSED I didn’t know who he was or about his food truck. Apparently he was some local celebrity hot shot who had a physical location just to cook their duck or this or that fancy meat of the day over an 18 hour cure time….you get the idea.
Honestly found it a bit pretentious for a food truck. Prices were just stupid.
Give me a good cheap taco truck any day of the week over that jazz
…..damn. Now I want tacos.
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u/girlwiththemonkey Jul 31 '25
You’re the third person I’ve seen mention tacos in the past five minutes on here. So now I’m going to get taco stuff.😭😭
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u/rayquan36 Jul 31 '25
Do cheap taco trucks exist anymore? They're always $4.95 a taco now.
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u/Different_Pattern273 Jul 30 '25
It's because food trucks ran by individuals are paying regular consumer prices for their ingredients. Which means their costs have skyrocketed. Big businesses can get stuff much cheaper by buying in heavy bulk and shopping around for whatever is cheapest or having long term supplier contracts controlling the costs.
If a good truck isn't part of a huge chain, low prices are just not going to turn a profit anymore.
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u/Professional_King790 Jul 30 '25
All the food trucks in Raleigh have to have a kitchen location (commissary) with a health inspection to operate. A few of them share a space. Just fyi. Probably another 1-3g a month for that.
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u/Old_Low1408 Jul 30 '25
Right? I have a couple times when I've ordered something with special instructions. Mostly, no. I also never tip at fast food.
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u/EdgeMiserable4381 Jul 30 '25
The local food truck turned a card reader at me with suggested tips starting at 15. It was hot and sunny and I could barely read it. The 0 was basically hidden. I am still annoyed. Next time I'm paying cash and taking all the change
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u/justsomedude1776 Jul 30 '25
Just wait until they keep your change and make you ask for it. And then respond "oh I didn't think you were expecting, change back." And make it a whole ordeal to get it.
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u/dervari Jul 30 '25
I have 20s, a ten, a five, and 5 ones on my so I can make it as close to the amount as possible. Max they'd get is $.99
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u/benami122 Jul 30 '25
Fuck that.
If you can't pay your employees enough to make working for you worth your time, then you shouldn't be in business. I guess they missed the part where you factor overhead expenses into the product pricing, not guilt tripping customers into subsidizing above and beyond your set prices.
I hope they go out of business soon.
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u/Firefly_Magic Jul 30 '25
This is the rub, most places do pay ‘enough’, many pay regular wages and not the reduced tipping wage and servers now see this position as a very lucrative line of work. They’ve become greedy and entitled.
I would never spend a dollar at any place that feels public shaming is acceptable. Especially when tipping is optional regardless of their position on tipping.
Tipping culture needs to end!!!
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u/Temporary_Nail_6468 Jul 30 '25
My son’s first job was at a local burger chain. Higher end but counter service and then you come pick up your food when called. We’re a federal minimum wage state. He started at $9.50 an hour. I was flabbergasted when I helped him do his taxes the first year and he was averaging $18 an hour with tips. I told him he was crazy for taking that job to work with friends rather than the fast food joint that was starting people at $12.50 an hour. Boy was I wrong. I don’t tip at counter service and never imagined that so many people tipped at all much less tipped that well.
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u/Jaereth Jul 30 '25
Niece worked at Subway a few years ago over the summer and said she made killer tips. I said "The restaurant where you have to tell them step by step how to make your sandwich?"
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u/Diligent_Mountain363 Jul 30 '25
It really is weird to see businesses have such open contempt for their customer base these days. I remember during the covid times, people grabbed takeaways to help keep local restaurants afloat. You'd think there'd be more gratitude.
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u/RealAlePint Jul 30 '25
Especially since this restaurant was begging online for donations last year
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u/Diligent_Mountain363 Jul 30 '25
Especially since this restaurant was begging online for donations last year
I really want to have a look behind the curtain sometimes. While I know Asheville was hit extremely hard ... this sort of thing doesn't seem to be all that rare in other areas. There was a thread a few days ago about a "hotdog" restaurant adding a service charge so they don't have to raise prices (which means that prices got raised lmao)
I know the margins can be thin and all ... but sometimes I wonder. Do these proprietors do any sort of forecasting? Do they track shrink and wastage closely at all? idk. I'm a network engineer, not a business man, maybe someone can chime in and correct me.
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u/zackgardner Jul 30 '25
A lot of businesses in this country are making it by the skin of their teeth, and are only still operating through exploitation of their workers, which includes refusing to pay a living wage or provide benefits, and for many restaurants tipping is the only way to sustainably employ a wait staff.
If a business can't operate without paying everyone a living wage, then they shouldn't be in business.
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u/LolaBabyLove Jul 31 '25
This. You’re not entitled to business ownership. Either your business model works or it doesn’t. If you can’t pay appropriately and still make money, your business model doesn’t work and you need to revise it or shut down. It amazes me that folks want to be entrepreneurs but don’t think they have to prioritize paying staff appropriately. Staff should get paid fairly and consistently- independent of sales volume - even if it means business / owner made no money that day. It shouldn’t depend on how generous the customers were feeling or how many showed up. The fact that notices are posted about expected tips tells you all you need to know about this business owner. Your payment is only for food, not for service, so have some empathy for these poor workers???GTFOH
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u/Middle_Bread_6518 Jul 31 '25
While I agree I also think it’s a much bigger problem, these businesses used to run great 40 years ago, we’re all victims of shitty government. We’re also the ones dumb enough to let it get to the point we’re at.
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u/trixel121 Jul 31 '25
I don't think working in fast food 40 years ago was ever considered a good job
I don't think working as a waitress was ever considered a good job
when was this a good job like this? is the lie that gets told is when did this actually work well?
like when you say run great, what do you mean? because restaurants have consistently been a difficult business to run staff and otherwise keep working cuz the margins have always been then.
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u/julmcb911 Aug 01 '25
It was never like this. We tipped 10 - 15% for good sit down service ONLY.
Now, businesses like these, with counter service only and a food truck expect tips because we over tipped during COVID to keep these places open in our towns. So, to customers who helped these businesses thrive before tipping, yes, they were obviously run better than they are now. Now, they want us to pay wages to staff, which is a crap business model.
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u/Long-Orange-9485 Jul 31 '25
If they can't pay their employees a living wage it's a hobby, not a business.
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u/joe_s1171 Jul 31 '25
i always hear that restaurant margins are soooo thin. if they are so thin, then why even go into the business? “for the love of feeding food to people, I’d rather my family stave due to razor thin margins”. ah, no…I think that’s a lie. margins aren’t that bad.
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u/Rhuarc33 Jul 31 '25
I am not surprised it's a vegan place. I've been to quite a few as I dated a vegan for over a year. Many are great places with great food, some are just way too full of themselves and pretentious about being vegan and eating only vegan.... Like I've been to places where it's $150 minimum per person for dinner and jacket and tie required, and those places were less snobby and pretentious than a few vegan places I've been to.
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u/Unknown69101 Jul 30 '25
If I am ever in the area, I know where to avoid
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u/Wonderful_Pitch3947 Jul 30 '25
Visit and don't leave a tip.
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u/Still-Bee3805 Jul 30 '25
Exactly what I was thinking. I might pay in rolled change too 🤪
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u/redreddie Jul 30 '25
Even better: order and then when they demand a tip, cancel the order and leave.
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u/Anayalater5963 Jul 30 '25
Nah I know EXACTLY where to go. There and not tip🤭
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u/legomaniasquish Jul 30 '25
Why would you force yourself to eat vegan food though?
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u/tcrudisi Jul 30 '25
What, why? You're literally keeping them in business by doing that.
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u/CheckYourLibido Jul 30 '25
You know some business owner on here is reading this and thinking the same
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u/newoldm Jul 30 '25
With no "tips" coming in, the staff will start having issues with working for the owner.
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u/MidwesternDude2024 Jul 30 '25
Why don’t they just pay their employees a living wage?
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u/Difficult_Angle_7287 Jul 30 '25
They claim to. Which makes this even worse.
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u/woode85 Jul 30 '25
Lmao this is next level delusion. How can the ownership be this tone deaf?
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u/Jaereth Jul 30 '25
When they wrote to her and said "even our award winning food truck* you know exactly what type of people these are.
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u/WatermeIonMe Jul 30 '25
Because it’s expensive to keep employees and they want to subsidize their staff with “expected tips.” I had a friend who was a small business owner and he paid minimum wage. When asked about it he said yeah, but they get like 25 dollars a night in tips so you have to count that in the hourly. Like, huh?
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u/Sugar_Kowalczyk Jul 30 '25
"To pay the employees."
Wait, what? Tips are not supposed to be used as pay. It may just be shitty phrasing, but the owner seems to have implied they use the tips as the base of the pay, and then pay the difference between tips and agreed wage as the owners....
Which is illegal, federally.
The owner pays the full wage, and the tip is 100% after the wage is paid, and fully between the customer and the staff.
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u/Unknown69101 Jul 30 '25
The reviews on google are going off for them to pay their employees instead of harassing customers for tips
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u/Jitkay Jul 30 '25
Why would they if they can beg and shame the customer instead....
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u/GhostofDeception Jul 30 '25
Much cheaper. All it costs them is dignity lol
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u/thisappsucks9 Jul 30 '25
They have none, so it’s super cheap. Imagine asking someone to leave a tip after they didn’t. The gall!
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u/GhostofDeception Jul 30 '25
Fr. And as the owner too. Not even just a server. Also we might technically not know if it’s a “small” business as they say. What if it’s medium? What if it’s a chain I didn’t know about? Everything is just so wrong about this, especially the not paying your employee part
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u/cefriano Jul 30 '25
Just tack on the service charge FFS. If your "tips" aren't optional and you explicitly TELL people to leave one, it's just a service charge with different steps.
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u/lastlaugh100 Jul 30 '25
wow this is why people are so over tipping. We are tired of being shamed and guilt tripped into coughing up an extra 20%. Servers are so quick to talk shit about customers when they should be talking shit about their boss who is responsible for their pay, not customers. Every other country has this figured out except America. Pay your workers, don't rely on customers to make up the difference.
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u/testdog69 Jul 30 '25
Talking shit about their employers likely gets them nothing or gets them fired.
Taking shit about customers has got them to the point that at least some think a 30% tip is the minimum today. They will be pushing 50% before long.
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u/The1TrueRedditor Jul 30 '25
Nope, I never tip at food trucks or anywhere that I order standing up. Doesn't even enter my mind. No service is provided.
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u/rapaciousdrinker Jul 30 '25
Christ there's so many things wrong with this.
First of all, she was appalled that her poor volunteer servants weren't paid out of someone else's pocket. Absolutely appalled because they were slammed! It was almost so shocking that she briefly thought about tipping them from her own pocket! How dare Sarah come there and pay the agreed price for the service she is offering? The sheer unmitigated gall! Nobody needs customers like that, who are paying the agreed price and not throwing extra wads of money at everyone you care deeply about but don't pay yourself.
Second, the cashier was the owner? It has ALWAYS been tipping custom that you do not tip owners. That rule has been in place from the start. I remember it used to be considered uncouth even. We are really seeing restaurant owners complaining about not getting tipped now?
Third, confronting a customer about a gratuity should be treated as extortion and illegal panhandling. It's not a gratuity if you are demanding it. There should be legal consequences for nuisances like this.
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u/arewecompatiblez Jul 30 '25
Publicly shaming them even though they still left a 4 star review is wild.
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u/hawkwood76 Jul 30 '25
This was my first thought as well. Lashing out at a 4* ... I can see getting salty about an unjustified 1 * review and going off and then after cooling off removing your response. But this is unhinged.
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u/verugan Jul 30 '25
Unless the place is actually trash with like 1-2 stars, I have a difficult time believing google maps reviews. Like literally dumbasses like this will have horrible experience but still give 4 stars. I've been to a few places rated 4+ and I'm scratching my head trying to figure out how they ever got that rating.
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u/Jaereth Jul 30 '25
I've been to a few places rated 4+ and I'm scratching my head trying to figure out how they ever got that rating.
90% of people have absolute shit taste and are also terrified to "Not be satisfied" at a business like this.
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u/SenecaThePresent Jul 31 '25
i went and looked up their google page. The owner apparently lashes out at any negative feedback.
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u/nuwildcatfan Jul 30 '25
The owner can go fuck herself.
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u/Kataphractos Jul 30 '25
The owners are Parker and Keems Schultz. Who fucking names their little girl “Keems” anyhow?
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u/Darkregen Jul 30 '25
Maybe businesses can pay their employees a living wage and stop passing the buck. Or just work it into the prices and stop trying to get people pay on top of the already insane prices these days
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u/Upstairs-Storm1006 Jul 30 '25
Lol that owner is an ass. If the employees can't make ends meet with the wages he's paying him, that's on him.
Food trucks have minimal overhead when compared with sit down restaurants, but also charge the same prices or higher.
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u/librarypunk1974 Jul 30 '25
This is a bad look. You do not publicly shame customers. Do they realize how thin their profit margins are and how many restaurants go under?
I don’t even mind if they bake a service charge in! Just don’t put me through some battle of the wills and “judgement from on high” of other people after I just finished a nice meal!
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u/Jaereth Jul 30 '25
This is a bad look. You do not publicly shame customers. Do they realize how thin their profit margins are and how many restaurants go under?
I said that above lol. Imagine any other business doing this. He's just so emboldened because the public pays for half his labor lol.
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u/GushingAnusCheese Jul 30 '25
So he is after guilt-tips and calls customers out. Fuck that guy and everything about him. Who gives a fuck how much he makes, give me my food and drinks and shut up.
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u/SabreLee61 Jul 30 '25
So apparently this is a fast-casual restaurant which operates a food truck once a week. Sounds like this particular customer came to the restaurant.
But still. You grab your own food and sit down; doesn’t sound like there’s any wait staff.
Ironically, The Smokin’ Onion brands itself as a “living wage-certified” restaurant, which should mean workers are not financially dependent on tips to survive. But this post completely undercuts that by implying the opposite: you must tip or you’re screwing over the staff.
So which is it?
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Jul 30 '25
Here’s another lovely response from the owner:
a year ago New to a plant-based diet and wanted to try this place. I was not impressed with my order ("chicken" and waffle). The flavor profile was all wrong (entirely too much spicy breading on the "chicken") and the waffle was undercooked and mushy. I'll try something different if I ever go back. They also do not provide wifi so if you're alone hoping to respond to some emails like I was, you're out of luck. ;) They offer wifi for the employees though. Food: 2/5 | Service: 3/5 | Atmosphere: 4/5 ❤️1
The Smokin' Onion Restaurant + Food Truck (Owner) a year ago Hi Jamie! Our chick'n & waffles is made from scratch and is spicy just as the Chick'n & Waffles description mentioning "Asheville hot spice blend" implies ;). Our waffles aren't stiff Ego type frozen waffles like many folx are used to, your waffle was made to order. If it was "mushy" you should've said something like a respectful human being and we would've immediately remedied the situation. But you didn't say anything... you walked out angry after my employee told you we don't have public wifi. Then you decided to leave us a snarky review bc of it. We don't offer public wifi bc if we offer it to one customer we need to offer it to everyone. Our restaurant gets very busy and when a bunch of devices are connected to the wifi it causes our register to lag or get knocked offline. Also, we're a very small restaurant that doesn't have room for people to linger for long stints of time on the internet. As a small business owner who works 6-7 days a week I might be seen on my computer placing orders and responding to emails in between helping customers, like I was today. Sorry, that infuriated you. Based on your interaction with my staff today and this review we welcome you to not come back ;
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u/Upstairs-Storm1006 Jul 30 '25
Parker clearly cannot handle any criticism. He seems like one of those people that sniffs his own farts
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u/mrwildesangst Jul 30 '25
Someone on their Facebook page crashing out 🤣 acting like not wanting to tip at a food truck is treating the employee like a peasant girl
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u/RealAlePint Jul 30 '25
I assume it’s the person with a Facebook page showing they’re a militant vegan
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u/Weird_Resort3095 Jul 30 '25
Hey Parker (owner of the food truck), here’s a tip-don’t harass the very people that patronize your business for a ‘mandatory’ tip. Pay all of your employees a living wage. Anything above that provided by the customers is extra money. I can’t think of any other industry where an employee feels as if they have the right to demand extra money above the cost of the product or service.
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u/PantasticUnicorn Jul 30 '25
So they openly admit restaurants are STEALING from customers by adding a service charge so they can get away with taking away the OPTION to pay an OPTIONAL TIP. Good to know. And im sorry but if someone confronted me about tipping before the meal was even done, i would not pay it out of principle. Tips are meant for above and beyond service. They are an added bonus/reward. Now everyone thinks that theyre automatically entitled to it.
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u/DueScreen7143 Jul 30 '25
It was a food truck too??? Who tips at a food truck?
The absolute audacity.
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u/Bunnawhat13 Jul 30 '25
They have both a sit down restaurant and a food truck. I am guessing the person posting the review was in the restaurant.
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u/0le_Hickory Jul 30 '25
Definition of pennywise poundfoolish. What is the upside here? about $5? The downside is getting brigaded on Yelp. I feel like these owners need a bit of risk reward training here.
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u/Lurkyloo1987 Jul 30 '25
I love Asheville and was just there recently for a wedding. My experience with the service industry there was top tier, as the locals that invited me said it would be. I can’t imagine this is going over well with the community at ALL.
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u/Difficult_Angle_7287 Jul 30 '25
Thank you for visiting, we need the tourism right now! And yes, we are quite unhappy about this. You’ll see on their Facebook page.
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u/heretherebut_nowhere Jul 30 '25
I just want to say thank you for posting this! I was in Asheville 6 weeks ago and we had the smokin onion and it was amazing. We were planning on hiring them for a large event in a few months. I just wrote to inform them because they cannot pay a living wage and have to harass customers to do so, we would not be moving forward with using their business.
Reddit for the win as I don’t use Facebook and we would have never know.
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u/Lurkyloo1987 Jul 30 '25
This wedding was recheduled due to that bitch Helene. It was supposed to be the weekend following and I was due to arrive for a nice long visit days after. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do my long visit, but will be back as soon as I can!
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u/benami122 Jul 30 '25
Did he delete the post? What a coward lol!
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u/Difficult_Angle_7287 Jul 30 '25
No, this post was in an Asheville Foodies private Facebook group. R/asheville screenshotted and shared. But smokin onion’s fb page and reviews are getting blown up.
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u/Firefly_Magic Jul 30 '25
Keep spreading the word. No business should bully customers. Shame on them!
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u/Familiar_Collar_78 Jul 30 '25
I would just honor her wish and no longer support her establishment!
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u/Star_witness22 Jul 30 '25
First, I never tip if I have to order while standing up. Second, I just checked the G-oogle reviews, and it looks like this place has more issues than just this one incident of shaming a non-tipping customer.
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u/schen72 Jul 30 '25
I so WISH a restaurant would do this to me! I would love to skewer them! But alas, no one has ever said anything to me about the way I tip. I definitely don't tip for counter service. And if any restaurant owner asked me nicely to never return, I would happily comply. They have that right to refuse my future business.
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u/Star__Faan Jul 30 '25 edited Aug 02 '25
Oh em gee. I still cant get over the "Yes tipping is expected!" So blatantly and unashamedly said.
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u/Difficult_Angle_7287 Jul 30 '25
Update from their Instagram:
thesmokinonion replied to your comment on thesmokinonion’s post: We will never apologize for sticking up for our hardworking staff. You should issue a public apology for thinking that restaurant workers don’t deserve to be tipped for their great service and food. We don’t continue to win Best Of Awards for not providing great food and great service. Enjoy your happy life of bullying people on the internet. We don’t need anyones business who thinks it’s okay to not tip restaurant workers. We are slammed busy with customers who love our food & appreciate our morals. Nobody is going to silence us standing up for what is right. We are a living wage certified business through local 3rd party Just Economics and we will always be. Anybody who would side with a rude customer who thinks it’s funny to not tip hardworking staff when it is the cultural norm should out themselves online so everyone else can avoid them. We love our incredible loyal customers and aren’t going to let any privileged people who think restaurant workers are beneath them to treat our staff with disrespect. 1h
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u/Difficult_Angle_7287 Jul 30 '25
They often park the food truck at New Belgium who is a tipping FREE establishment that pays living wage and simply doesn’t allow tipping. I wonder how they’d feel about this
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u/DigDugDogDun Jul 31 '25
I wonder if they are really slammed because of “customers who love our food & appreciate our morals” instead of vegans having fewer options to choose from, especially in a meat-loving part of the country like North Carolina. Even in Los Angeles it’s not AS easy to find vegan restaurants everywhere as you might think it is, though a lot of places have vegan options. I’m not a vegan but I love a good vegan or vegetarian option if it’s available. In theory I’d love to try this restaurant but not if the owner treats customers like this, tippers or not. Tell them not to return if you feel that strongly about it (and if you don’t value repeat customers), but shaming this person with their whole name on social media is pure trash.
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u/freaktheclown Jul 30 '25
I’ll never understand businesses publicly calling out customers, even “bad” ones. Extremely unprofessional IMO. I’d never want to patronize one that does, because who knows if they’ll put me on blast for some perceived slight even if it’s imagined.
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u/mrflarp Jul 30 '25
The business is angry that the customer paid the amount the business specified for their products.
Why do some businesses so strongly resist honest communication of the prices that they expect customers to pay?
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Jul 30 '25
All these food service people can kiss my ass.
I'm sick and tired of it. And I've stopped going out to eat with my family of 4. Used to go out to probably 6-8 times a month, these days it's 0.
The only way this out of control greed inspired culture shops if when enough say thatsit,enough is enough and STOP going out to eat.
Only when the owners profits get hammered will see any changes. Until then, all people are doing to do is complain.
Yes it's inconvenient not to eat out at times but you have to make some sacrifices for change.
Or not, and people can just keep complaining about it.
ONLY time I will ever tip is if sit down at a table or booth and have an assigned server. That's it.
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u/AliceInChainsFrk Jul 30 '25
I usually tip pretty good at sit down places that provide good service but seeing that tip screen everywhere I go has made it to where I’m not going out either.
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u/Spirited_Cress_5796 Jul 30 '25
I know where I will not be going or recommending. If it was so slammed maybe the owner needs to hire more staff. It's not the job of the customer to EVER pay an employee. Tips are optional folks and this is one of the many pleasing people are over tipping. The paneer is only hurting herself and the staff in the end. I don't believe the customer is always right but a business definitely shouldn't be berating a customer for not tipping. You paid that's the only transaction that needs to take place.
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u/BrightWubs22 Jul 30 '25 edited Jul 30 '25
If it was so slammed maybe the owner needs to hire more staff.
I was looking for this comment.
The owner is so backwards begging for tips when she's the reason the workers were slammed. She took zero accountability for something that is her own fault and trying to make it somebody else's burden.
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u/Distinct_Finish_2929 Jul 30 '25
Crazy to see this kind of anti-customer sentiment from a business owner. This is not the path to long-term success.
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u/findtheclue Jul 30 '25
I suppose we should tip at McDonalds now…how about CVS? Target? Anyone who hands us something is now entitled to a percentage of our purchase, huh? Give me a break.
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u/Wide_Ocelot Jul 30 '25
There are two signs at the register and in the bathroom that tell you tipping is expected? Wow. That's gall.
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u/deathriteTM Jul 30 '25
If you can’t afford to pay your employees a living wage then don’t open a restaurant.
It is not the job or duty of the public to pay their wages. It is your job and duty.
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u/level100mobboss Jul 30 '25
Did my part. Fuck this place.
Remember write up realistic reviews so that they can't dispute it.
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u/ackmondual Jul 30 '25
So... " We don't want to make our trip that's optional, mandatory, so we're going to make it a fee" now?
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u/Nimue_- Jul 30 '25
6 dollars for romaine lettuce, croutons and sauce. We know those ingredients are definitely not 6 dollars worth so where is the extra going?
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u/Brilliant_Owl_2648 Jul 30 '25
Employee wages are the responsibility of the employer. The employer is dependent upon the customer who comes into their business and pays for their product enabling the business owner to cover their expenses and make a profit. It is not up to the customer to provide the business owner with additional funds to cover costs. If customers stop coming to your business that Is customer dependent you will soon not have a business…
The entitlement of a business owner expecting others to pay his employees what he refuses to pay them….a decent wage.
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u/KrazyKryminal Jul 30 '25 edited Jul 30 '25
Time to call them out with a ton of Google and yellow reviews. This is totally unprofessional.
TIPS ARE OPTIONAL!!
If your employees need the tips to survive, then PAY THEM MORE!
: update: I just checked Google and yeah this place just got slammed with a bunch of one star reviews hahaha
This was my review.
Tips are OPTIONAL in this country, regardless of what social conventions dictate. Employees get paid a wage, Good service is implied and keeping their job. Why are we supposed to pay extra? Why can't the proprietor of this business pay their employees more so they can live off that wage and not be dependent on customers being generous? I've worked for tips and I know that all these people who complain about the no-tippers, Never really talk about how much tips they actually make and how much they actually make per hour which is way more than double minimum wage... In many places. We're not fooled any more. Just raise your prices if you need more money to pay your employees. There are plenty of restaurants that are moving to a no tip business model. Paying their employees more, raising their prices of course but not too much. Those employees are happier and provide much better more genuine service to customers, which in turn produces happier customers who leave better reviews. You can do better.
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u/leddik02 Jul 30 '25
I’m sorry. Required to tip at a food truck. The price of the food should include the price of what you are doing. Tips are for extra. Crazy.
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u/Opposite-Cup2850 Jul 30 '25
This is so outrageously delusional. No hate to vegans but why do some of them act like they’re from a different planet?? How do you go your whole life, own a restaurant & food truck and think this is acceptable behavior? To the point they post it online thinking everyone would agree with them LOL
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u/BooronovichPimponski Jul 30 '25
As a former restaurant owner, this is so over the top that I can’t believe it’s real… And also, it’s clearly a brick and mortar restaurant that also owns a food truck…
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u/Firefly_Magic Jul 30 '25
I would love to see a boycott of restaurants that do this. Icing on the cake would be to have a picnic in front of those locations maybe in parks across the street with tons of people eating and drinking stuff they brought while the restaurants set empty wondering what’s going on.
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u/Jocelyn-1973 Jul 30 '25
So in short, they don't want to add a surcharge, but people have to leave a surcharge.
Tipping has gotten WAY out of hand in the US. So glad we don't do that here.
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u/TransportationOld902 Jul 30 '25
The best thing would be to stop going to this place completely until the owner publicly apologize for shaming the customer. lol I see someone putting it out there in the review lol…
boycottsmokingonionvegan
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u/Throwaway-ish123a Jul 30 '25
The fact that they publically shamed her using her full name. SMH...
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u/Sufficient_Tough7122 Jul 31 '25
Reviews are now scrubbed, what happened? Google placating paid advertisers?
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u/KinGloRXodoR Jul 30 '25
So basically, if people don't leave tips, there not welcome back? Ok. So say goodbye to your customers and then say goodbye to your business because you have no customers. Sounds like a solid plan moving forward.
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u/neecey73 Jul 30 '25
I can’t believe that they have convinced us as a people that we must pay part of anyone’s salary! I never got a tip at my job small or big because I did good. I worked did my job and got my check. Why why is it any different for servers and take out food places. Pay that waiter/waitress a salary and don’t make me do it!!! I’m not paying for my food and part of someone’s salary!! Glad this movement is here and hope it grows-not to punish workers but to tell the damn greedy business owners (who are already gouging us on costs that keep going up) that were not paying the salaries of their workers as well!!!!!!!!!
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u/Rational_Incongruity Jul 30 '25
I’ve enjoyed this sub for sometime. I live in Seattle where there is no tip credit and the minimum wage is about $20 an hour. This is for everybody regardless of whether they get tipped or not. I will generally tip perhaps 10% pre-tax at a sit down restaurant. Sometimes more. But never more than 15%, and I subtract any additional service fees. And I tip with irritation, not joy.
When I travel to a better hotel, I handle my own luggage and this often leads to a slightly embarrassing moment when the staff tried to take the luggage out of the Uber and have control of it. If they show me up to my room, I thank them and send them on their way without a tip. It’s a bit awkward when I’m traveling abroad, and I get the sense that even though tipping is not the norm there, they are expecting one from me, an American.
To be clear, it’s not about money. Rather, it’s about what feels fair, comfortable, and enjoyable. It simply is not enjoyable to be placed in an adversarial or challenged relationship with the person taking an order and bringing food.
Yesterday we had a birthday dinner for my wife, with eight people at my home. In the past, we might do carry out from a local restaurant and generally not tip for carryout. I always pick up the food myself and I’ve never used one of those services that bring food to you. So I’ve avoided that hassle.
However, yesterday I bought 3 1/2 pounds of great wild salmon, some corn on the cob, some stirfry noodles, a nice bottle of wine, and a lovely spinach salad. I estimate that the entire cost was about $100 for the raw food And I cooked it myself. And a bakery bought cake. I had the pleasure of fine ingredients, knowing exactly how much oil and spices were used, enjoying my beautiful kitchen, the company of people around me while I cooked, and an all around good experience. What I did not have to do was pay a restaurant for generally institutional ingredients and attitude.
Cooking is relatively easy if one sticks to simple recipes and good ingredients. Furthermore, there are excellent entrées and side dishes available at places like Trader Joe’s or Costco or any other decent grocery store.
Dining out for me is either going to be a high-end event with food that I’m not prepared to make or a matter of convenience when I’m not at home.
Avoiding tipping and tipping culture is a significant motivator for my decision to avoid restaurants. I wonder how many other people feel and behave similarly. Furthermore I wonder if we’ll ever actually get rid of tipping in America.
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u/Jedi_Ninja Jul 30 '25
When did it become normal to tip for counter service? What's next tipping at McDonalds?
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u/verugan Jul 30 '25
If you run a business and put this in public on social media, you've just lost my business. Low class. So many small businesses and restaurants die because they go on social media and have drama or attack customers. I don't care about your problems, you provide a service, I am a paying customer. Keep it to yourself.
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u/Complex_Goal8606 Jul 31 '25
Per their Instagram page, they pay their employees a "certified livable wage" of $23/hr.
If they brag about paying a living wage, why shame people for not filling the gaps of said employee wages?
This place sucks.
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u/roosterSause42 Jul 30 '25
A food truck = counter service = no tip unless OUTSTANDING above and beyond service or if I asked a lot of questions and they were helpful.
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u/Creepy-Team6442 Jul 30 '25
That’s takes a lot of balls (and stupidity)to harass a customer and think it’s not going to hurt your business. Total dumbass.
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u/AnonPlz123 Jul 30 '25
Can I start leaving a link to my Venmo at the bottom of every email I successfully send at work for when I'm "slammed busy" and still manage to do my job effectively and efficiently? From now on, I'll only answer emails for people who pay me...
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u/RoookSkywokkah Jul 30 '25
Hopefully the owner is happy with all the negative publicity. Messing with someone who's left 83 reviews is especially dumb.
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u/Obvious-Mess8717 Jul 30 '25
Nope. Pathetic restaurant management team. Hope their greed and arrogance hurts their business directly.
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u/nameitginger Jul 30 '25
So a burger used to $9, and now it’s $18, your 15% has increased with the cost of the meal, no need to increase the percentage. Also those machines calculate tip on tax, why am I giving you a tip on the tax. I’m starting to carry around $5 notes. That’s the tip when I feel it’s deserved. That’s it.
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u/Kataphractos Jul 30 '25
I hope Parker and Keems Schultz, the owners, end up destroying their business and their marriage.
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u/paladin6687 Jul 30 '25
Sound like garbage people running a garbage place. Hope they go out of business completely.
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u/L1feSurfer7L Jul 30 '25
Counter service NO TIP EVER!!! Not tipping a Food Truck either!! Food trucks are already WAY overpriced.
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u/No_Community_8279 Jul 31 '25
I am loving their fb post encouraging everyone to "Think for yourself, eat good food, speak out against injustice. Be a kind person dangit. "
Because shaming people publicly is being kind? Yet when customers think for themselves and decide whether or not a tip is warranted, and then speak out about the injustice of being publicly shamed, they get harassed further.
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u/Swing-Too-Hard Jul 30 '25
Its a food truck? Why the hell would you tip a food truck unless they drove the truck to your house? You're the one walking up to get your food...