By Nick Twietmeyer, UW News Lab / Special to CHS
Capitol Hill Seattle, June 3, 2016
Slowly but surely, the concept of a tipless restaurant is gaining a foothold on Capitol Hill. It has been a year since Lionhead and the Renee Erickson trio of Bateau, Bar Mesuline, and General Porpoise ditched tips in favor of a service charge and flat hourly wages for their staff. Several of Seattle’s high profile restauranteurs have followed suit while others on Capitol Hill saythey are exploring the model. Some have cited Seattle’s $15 minimum wage law and concerns over a decrease in tipping as their rationale for the move. Capitol Hill owners who spoke with CHS said they were primarily motivated by offering more stability for their staff.
At the Sea Creatures trio at 10th and Union, owners said ditching tips was relatively seamless and popular among servers.
“Going tipless has actually helped us to attract the types of people we like to work with, namely professional servers and cooks,” said Jeremy Price, co-owner and operations manager of the Erickson parent company.
As part of the tip phase out, Price promised employees that overall take-home pay would not decrease. “Front of house staff is making the same as they were before. The back of house has seen an average 15 percent pay increase,” he said. ...
As of January 2016, small business employees should be making a guaranteed minimum $12 an hour. Those with medical benefits or tips could be paid an hourly wage as low as $10.50 per hour. In six months, Seattle’s first true $15 an hour minimum wage requirements will go into effect at businesses with 500+ employees that offer no health benefits. ...