"Geoff Davis doesn't want his employees to have to rely on tips. The acclaimed chef who worked in restaurants and cocktail bars across the Bay Area and wine country before opening the Oakland soul food eatery Burdell, named for his grandmother, points out on customers' receipts that tipping culture in the United States has a racist history - rooted in underpaid service jobs relegated to formerly enslaved Black workers."
"Instead of tips, his restaurant adds a 20% service fee to the bill. It takes the guesswork and luck out of the equation, Davis said, and helps to stabilize wages across dining rooms and kitchens - where servers often receive tips but cooks and dishwashers do not - and helps offset the cost of healthcare benefits offered to full-time employees."
""Tipping in the US has an ugly past, allowing the continuation of underpaid labor. We don't like that history. Included on your check is a 20% Service Charge which we use to pay hourly staff a consistent and livable wage, not dependent on archaic tipping customs or chance. No need to add anything else. Thank you! Burdell <3,""
Chef Geoff Davis implemented a 20% service charge at Burdell to eliminate tipping and provide consistent, livable hourly wages and healthcare for full-time staff. The policy aims to redistribute compensation across dining rooms and kitchens, ensuring cooks and dishwashers share in service revenue. The receipts note that U.S. tipping culture has a racist history tied to underpaid labor of formerly enslaved Black workers. The practice of adding service charges is common in some upscale restaurants. A now-deleted Reddit post about Burdell's policy sparked a surge of negative online reviews, hateful messages, and threats.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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