By Ryan M. McDermott
Washington Times - Wednesday, April 20, 2016
... The Democratic mayor has proposed raising the minimum wage for tipped workers from the current $2.77 an hour to $7.50 an hour by 2022. She also has proposed to raise the minimum wage for all other D.C. workers to $15 an hour by 2020. The current wage minimum is $10.50 an hour and is set to rise to $11.50 on [July 1]. Ms. Bowser presented her wage legislation Tuesday to the D.C. Council, saying it strikes a balance between protecting tipped workers and maintaining the tipping system. ...
Andy Shallal, owner of the Busboys and Poets restaurants, approves of Ms. Bowser’s plan because he believes it will help restaurants eventually do away with the tipping system.
“If I had my druthers, I’d eliminate tipping altogether,” said Mr. Shallal, who also heads the mayor’s Workforce Investment Council.
He suggested an increase in restaurant prices that includes a service charge in lieu of a tip, saying that the price increase initially might be surprising but that diners would pay about the same in the end.
He conceded it will take time to educate consumers and get them out of the habit of tipping.
“At some point it will become obsolete, but weaning a culture off it will take time,” Mr. Shallal said of tipping. “We’re not in that mindset now. A cultural shift will have to happen.” ...