What Do the World's Top Chefs Think About Danny Meyer's No Tipping Policy?
#TopChef alums Fabio Viviani and Harold Dieterle weigh in on the latest trend in the restaurant industry.
Back in October, Danny Meyer caused a stir when he decided to eliminate tipping from his NYC restaurants. His decision to do so certainly wasn't a novice idea, as Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio revealed he'd abolish tipping during lunch service at Craft back in September. So far, Meyer has removed tipping at his hotspot The Modern in New York's Midtown neighborhood. And while diners aren't obligated to leave something for the service, according to The New York Post, they still are. This is something Top Chef Season 1 winner Harold Dieterle had a sneaking suspicion might happen. "I think it all depends on how the restaurant decided to distribute the money. I think it's important that the cooks earn a good wage; the service staff earns a good wage," he tells us. "It's a juggling act, for sure. I am not opposed to it. But I also think people, you're taking the control away from the diner and I feel like they may not be crazy about that."
Season 5 Cheftestant Fabio Viviani told The Daily Dish he still needed to do a little more investigating before he decides how much he's for or against the growing trend. "It's their choice. I'm not fully caught up with the whole [policy and] how this works, so it might be there is some good in it because I believe they add a service charge with the cost," he said. "Although, I do believe among servers and among people in the industry, there are good apples and there are bad apples. So I don't feel that the bad apples should make as much as the good apples. I don't feel, in the workplace, everybody's equal. There are people who produce more, [and] they should make more. There are people that are nicer, [and] they should be treated nicer. So, for me, it's a matter of service. If you provide a better service, you should be making more money than someone who provides an average service."
Tom and the rest of the Top Chef crew will be back when Season 13 kicks off on December 2 at 10/9c.
