Listen Live
Donate
 on air
Schedule

KCRW

Read & Explore

  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Culture
  • Events

Listen

  • Live Radio
  • Music
  • Podcasts
  • Full Schedule

Information

  • About
  • Careers
  • Help / FAQ
  • Newsletters
  • Contact

Support

  • Become a Member
  • Become a VIP
  • Ways to Give
  • Shop
  • Member Perks

Become a Member

Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

DonateGive Monthly

Copyright 2025 KCRW. All rights reserved.

Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
Cookie Policy
|FCC Public Files

Back to To the Point

To the Point

Is Tipping at Restaurants Becoming a Thing of the Past?

Tipping is as American as apple pie -- fundamental to the $600 billion restaurant industry with tens of millions of employees. Customers may believe that tipping's fair play for waiters and waitresses when service is good or bad.

  • rss
  • Share
By Warren Olney • Oct 19, 2015 • 34m Listen

Tipping is as American as apple pie -- fundamental to the $600 billion restaurant industry with tens of millions of employees. Customers may believe that tipping's fair play for waiters and waitresses when service is good or bad. But the kitchen staff rarely gets a piece of the action, and critics call it a way to pass labor costs directly onto customers and a vehicle for racial and gender discrimination. Now a movement to abolish tipping is under way. Will people who eat out accept menus with higher prices?

  • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

    Warren Olney

    former KCRW broadcaster

  • KCRW placeholder

    Paul von Zielbauer

    Producer, 'To the Point'

  • KCRW placeholder

    Christine Detz

    Producer, 'To the Point'

  • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

    Gideon Brower

    Independent Producer

  • KCRW placeholder

    Drew Nieporent

    Myriad Restaurant Group

  • KCRW placeholder

    Michael Lynn

    Cornell University

  • KCRW placeholder

    Erik Bruner-Yang

    Toki Underground / Maketto

    NewsNationalPolitics
Back to To the Point