Chain Restaurant Tests Out ‘No Tipping’ [POLL]

Is this the way of the future for bars and restaurants?

I used to work in a restaurant. I waited tables for the better part of four years and I always thought the idea of tipping was stupid.

Why in the world was I expected to get a larger tip from a couple who ordered an expensive bottle of wine and two steaks, rather than a family of four that I spent an hour refilling chocolate milks and iced teas for? That makes no sense to me at all, but that's how it works.

Larger bill, bigger tip, especially when as a server I was expected to give a percentage of my tips back to the restaurant based on my night's sales.

So the idea of making more money and not having to worry about tips makes sense... however, I think I can speak for many servers (current and former) when I say that part of the reason they get up every day and wait tables and make drinks is because there's always that hope and possibility that today's the day someone leaves you a gigantic tip.  Maybe you'll get that after work party of 20 to yourself and they just keep drinking well past dinner, charge it to their business account and fill up your apron with cash. Maybe a rich old man thinks you gave him the perfect amount of ketchup and tips you $50 on a $20 bill.

Without tips, that drive to turn tables and offer dessert kind of goes away doesn't it?

Joe's Crab Shack is the first chain restaurant to test out the "no tipping" idea. While there isn't one in Rockford, there is one in Schaumburg, ironically very close to the restaurant I used to work.

So Joe's is forgoing tips, while raising the hourly rate of their employees. As expected, prices of food and drinks at the restaurant are expected to rise to compensate with the higher wages.

What do you think?