Seems to be a new trend. I’ve recently been to at least two NYC area restaurants that added 20%, made no mention of it other than it showing up as a line item (“service charge”) that we almost missed, and provided space on the check to add a tip.
Airlines and hotels at least have another purpose: they want their names to be displayed more prominently in a search (nearly all such search algorithms take into account prices). Lower base fare/rate therefore gets more clicks and more businesses. OTOH, no one selects a restaurant based on a search of individual items.
1 Like
I sincerely hope restaurants don’t adopt the airline pricing model. Can you imagine?
- cloth napkins instead of paper? Extra $
- silverware instead of plastic disposables? Extra $
- reservation? Extra $$
- real menus you can hold in your hands instead of squinting at your phone after scanning a QR code? Extra!
Oh wait… that’s already happening. Never mind.
I’ll just eat my Bolognese with my hands, then wipe them on the corner of the tablecloth that I’ve tucked into my shirt collar. 
1 Like
All this is why dining out in Europe is a TREAT----taxes are built into the meal costs and tipping is completely optional. Two 15 euro meals, and the check is for exactly 30 euros!
When Europeans dine out here in the US they must get the check and their heads explode–state tax, meal tax, in some places county tax–and please TIP!
And if I may add—this is all our fault in a way----during the COVID crisis may of us appreciated what food service people were doing for us, so we tipped more generously. Now, it seems everyone brazenly has their hand out!!
10 Likes
And it is so easy. The waiter brings the little card machine to your table - you tap your card and off you go. No waiting, no back and forth - no calculations to be made!
8 Likes
Good to know! We are leaving for Spain and France in five days. 
I actually don’t like the machine because they hover.
If no tip is expected, I guess that’s different but here, they have the machine and they hover.
I want to write on the paper when they aren’t there and walk away. Much less pressure.
4 Likes
I totally agree (and it’s the same in Asia too). I travel often for work and in some countries the tip (should you choose to add it) is a flat amount and not a percentage.
1 Like
In Europe, no tip and they don’t hover. Everything happened so easily it seemed! Just tap, tap and tap. Of course, you see the big bills after for all the tapping 
2 Likes
Yes, we loved Japan—they don’t accept tips. We tried to tip the wheelchair pushers but were politely but firmly declined. They provide excellent service too!
5 Likes
Today I noticed several tip jars at the farmers market. How do we feel about that? My thought was just increase your prices a bit! Many of them take only cash….how many cash tips can I leave ?! (I often purchase from several vendors)
One of the vendors (sells homemade thick potato chips - I was buying for vacation next week) takes credit card - which I used. The vendors son - about age 10 - did the transaction - near the end of the transaction. He looked at me with his big brown eyes…”WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD A TIP”? Ugh. This just left a bad taste in my mouth that he would have his son ask! They also had a tip jar which I had noticed. I said I’d leave a tip in the jar.
Tipping at the farmer’s market!!! 
I haven’t seen that at our farmer’s market. And good thing because the prices already seem astronomical this year.
4 Likes
What’s next, the cashier at Kroger ??
4 Likes
Do self check out and leave a tip for yourself. 
7 Likes
I just paid $14 for eight donuts. It took him less about a minute to put them in a box. If he would have boxed them without me asking (he wanted to put iced/sprinkle donuts in a bag) I might have tipped more. Next time I will bring a little cash for the tip jar instead of adding it to my credit card.
Off Topic but nothing I hate more than donuts in a bag. I’ll pay for the box if I have do but unless they are do the holes all the same flavor, NO BAG!
5 Likes
And funky bagels like everything or Asiago go in a separate bagel bag.
4 Likes
I had an unusual experience today. I picked up a couple cookies at a specialty shop. I pulled out my credit card to pay and the girls behind the counter pulled out the card swipe machine while saying “don’t tip.” I looked up somewhat perplexed; “don’t tip” was repeated and so I didn’t. Nice not to be put in the position of wondering whether or not to tip for something that was essentially bagged at the counter. (The cookies are made before the store opens.)
I wonder if they’ve had complaints re “tip expectation.”
4 Likes
Our local to go sandwich shop has you swipe your card, then immediately turns the screen and selects “no tip” before the customer sees it.
6 Likes