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Has Tipping Culture Gotten Out of Control?

How did tipping get so weird? If you feel like the number of businesses asking if you'd like to leave a tip has grown, you're not alone. A recent Bankrate survey found that two thirds of Americans have a negative view on tipping as more and more businesses ask customers to consider leaving a tip for employees. This rising dissatisfaction is likely being fueled by a number of factors, including rising prices and the ubiquity of point of sale machines that default to tips of 15%, 20%, or even higher.


On top of these factors, there have been reports of some truly weird tipping interactions, such as reports that a tenant was given an opportunity for tipping their landlord, or the report that some grocery stores are introducing tipping at self checkout. There are also the still-disputed questions of how much to tip for Uber Eats deliveries, or how much to tip for take-out food.


Leaving a tip at a restaurant in Seattle cafe

For those of you in the camp that believes tipping is an important piece of our food and beverage culture, it's unlikely that tipping is going away any time soon despite the cries that "tipping is weird now" and "tipping culture is out of control." Most restaurants still provide diners with the opportunity to leave a tip at the end of their meal. Even Starbucks recently updated their tipping policy to help their employees receive more in tips on top of their hourly base wages.


If, however, you're looking for local restaurants, breweries, and other businesses in the Seattle area that don't prompt customers for a tip, we've put together a list of such businesses below. These gratuity-free businesses often tout higher wages and other benefits for their employees to relieve their dependency on tipping for income.


Flying Lion Brewing

This Columbia City brewery was founded in 2012 and is known for creative and experimental beers, as well as a commitment to sustainability. Flying Lion Brewing is a Certified B Corporation, which means that they meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.


Molly Moon's Ice Cream

Molly Neitzel started Molly Moon's Ice Cream with the goal of making high-quality ice cream that was also good for the planet. Since then, Molly Moon's Ice Cream has adopted forward-thinking practices such as higher than average wages and benefits for her staff and the use of local ingredients as often as possible.


Sea Wolf Bakers

It's common to wait in a long line to order from this family-owned Fremont bakery, and for good reason. Their menu of breads, pastries, and more feature a list of offerings you can purchase year-round, as well as seasonal variations.


Fuel Coffee

Fuel Coffee sources their beans from ethical and sustainable farms, and they roast their coffee in small batches to ensure freshness. While they don't have a tipping option, they do have a charitable donation box in each of their shops, and even donate a portion of their own proceeds to local charities.


Temple Pastries

Temple Pastries is known for their delicious pastries, such as their croissants, muffins, and cakes. They also have a strong commitment to using local ingredients, and they source their flour, dairy, and eggs from local farms.


Dick's Drive-In

This infamous Seattle-based burger chain was founded in 1954 by Dick Spady and is known for their simple, classic burgers, which are made with fresh, never-frozen beef. Dick's is a Seattle institution with burgers, fries, shakes, and more.


Ghost Note Coffee

Consistently ranked one of the best coffee shops in Seattle, Ghost Note Coffee serves balanced drinks and whole beans at their Capitol Hill coffee shop. In addition to coffee, Ghost Note also hosts food pop-ups by guests.


Moon Village Bakery

This small, family-owned bakery in South Seattle serves breads, cookies, and baked goods. The team avoids artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, and sweeteners in their foods. The bakery even offers bread subscriptions at an affordable price.


Where does tipping culture come from? Tipping used to be a discretionary gesture reserved for exceptional service. However, in the current landscape (driven in part by technologies that suggest tipping by default), some believe that tipping has become an obligatory practice irrespective of the quality of service received. This inflation of tipping standards has put a significant burden on consumers, who are now compelled to pay more for the same level of service.


The burden that some customers feel, however, can't be stated without mentioned the burden service workers face as the cost of living rises without comparable increases in hourly wages. And, while tipping was initially intended to supplement low wages in the service industry, it has inadvertently perpetuated wage disparities and exploitation. Tipped workers in many states often receive significantly lower base wages, with the expectation that their income will be supplemented by tips. As a result, workers' livelihoods become dependent on the whims of customers, leading to financial instability and inconsistent income.

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