tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post865021846373385191..comments2024-03-28T22:15:17.067-05:00Comments on Every goddamn day: 03/29/24: The 20 percentNeil Steinberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11468057838260476480noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-47073089229862898892021-11-04T22:10:05.403-05:002021-11-04T22:10:05.403-05:00Yes - the Covid charge is often unexpected and poo...Yes - the Covid charge is often unexpected and poorly noted. Usually, restaurants have been agreeable to removing it. <br /><br />I don’t feel at all guilty about this, because I tip very generously - as I have been doing through these times. But that way, it goes where it should: to the service staff.Tony B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03249363658954324651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-33128957502552436742021-11-04T09:36:54.914-05:002021-11-04T09:36:54.914-05:00Would take my girls there every year for their bir...Would take my girls there every year for their birthdays until it closed. As four and two year olds, they really enjoyed their food and entertainment. Also, recently, found out a couple of NEO DJs had daytime gigs at debevics which affirms my love for that place.Luis Silvahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16894737241066262192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-53972302501624272122021-11-03T14:03:38.750-05:002021-11-03T14:03:38.750-05:00Sounds a lot like the "resort charges" t...Sounds a lot like the "resort charges" tacked on by hotels, which are often 10% or more of the rack rate. Usually it means you get a "complimentary" bottle of water in your room. Just raise your damn rates so I can do an honest comparison.Timnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-19824224889535771052021-11-03T12:31:50.294-05:002021-11-03T12:31:50.294-05:00Wow, I can certainly see why that makes you feel w...Wow, I can certainly see why that makes you feel worse, Neil. If they consider themselves "a tip-free restaurant," they should clearly remove the "tip" line from the check. I couldn't find the wording that Watson quotes on the website, though I guess it makes sense. But the waitstaff seem to be a little on the shady side, as well, if they're a tip-free place. I did look at Yelp and saw a comment from somebody in July who had a similar experience to yours: <br /><br />"Unless something has changed in a week, Big Jones is now adding a 20% service charge to dine in. That's a compulsory tip. And if you don't leave another 20% on top of that, your waiter will follow you outside and berate you.<br />Which is exactly what Matthew, our waiter, did to us last week. I pointed out the 20% service charge, and he snapped, 'That's not how it works!' <br />So, I'm supposed to tip 40%?"Jakashnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-25203980519854354302021-11-03T09:53:32.747-05:002021-11-03T09:53:32.747-05:00It didn't in this case. And if Big Jones is in...It didn't in this case. And if Big Jones is indeed "tip-free," then the big space labelled "TIP" on the credit card totals is misleading. I wouldn't go back.Neil Steinberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11468057838260476480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-13409843448735452952021-11-03T08:42:05.188-05:002021-11-03T08:42:05.188-05:00I think your server snowed you. From the Big Jones...I think your server snowed you. From the Big Jones website: <br /><br />Big Jones charges a 20% service fee instead of traditional tipping.<br /><br />As of June 2020, Big Jones is a tip-free restaurant. As much as we appreciate and understand the generosity of the overwhelming majority of our guests, we have come to the conclusion that it is our responsibility to make sure that each employee is treated and compensated fairly and justly.<br /><br />Traditional tipping does not work well in our current coronavirus scenario, where we have limited seating and servers are required to wear masks. It’s unfair to servers to have their compensation tied to tipping in this environment.<br /><br />Traditional tipping also is shown to result in lower tips for women and people of color. We don’t want to be part of this system.Watsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-22135953368349055952021-11-02T19:06:50.829-05:002021-11-02T19:06:50.829-05:00Ed Debevic's hasn't so much survived as it...Ed Debevic's hasn't so much survived as it's been resurrected at a different location. The original spot closed in 2015 and the new version, on Ohio east of Michigan, evidently just opened about a month ago...<br /><br />https://chicago.eater.com/2021/10/6/22711003/ed-debevics-1950s-diner-returns-streeterville-chicago Jakashnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-3395968543990771422021-11-02T18:35:34.237-05:002021-11-02T18:35:34.237-05:00Also: "Several key findings: The restaurant ...Also: "Several key findings: The restaurant industry ended 2020 with total sales that were $240 billion below the Association's pre-pandemic forecast for the year. As of Dec. 1, 2020, more than 110,000 eating and drinking places were closed for business temporarily, or for good." https://restaurant.org/articles/news/new-report-measures-pandemics-effect-on-business#:~:text=Several%20key%20findings%3A,business%20temporarily%2C%20or%20for%20good<br /><br />Carenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15948322374348472360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-30104130065244606962021-11-02T18:34:03.821-05:002021-11-02T18:34:03.821-05:00This place added a 3% charge in order to provide h...This place added a 3% charge in order to provide health insurance to employees. https://www.kvue.com/article/news/at-least-2-austin-restaurants-adding-health-care-surcharge-to-customer-bills/269-b7dfed7a-78b5-47e5-9aff-f6103e16d607Carenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15948322374348472360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-47678683047294292962021-11-02T18:32:31.330-05:002021-11-02T18:32:31.330-05:00I was also shocked at a 20% COVID surcharge in Aus...I was also shocked at a 20% COVID surcharge in Austin until I noticed that almost everyone adds it there. Also, I loved Ed Debevic's as a kid and my dad, who's a big kid, did too (or at least he seemed to). I am happy to see (when I just Googled it) that it has survive so it can bring joy to future generations of kids. I miss their cheese fries, although not sure if I'd stomach them today. I had not heard of the spinning salad so had to look it up: https://abiquiunews.com/recipes/the-real-blackhawk-restaurants-famous-spinning-bowl-salad-recipe-by-otto-roth. Cool!Carenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15948322374348472360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-16893251049704085822021-11-02T15:30:20.323-05:002021-11-02T15:30:20.323-05:00Of course, Neil's reference to a $30 tip for a...Of course, Neil's reference to a $30 tip for a $70 meal is 42% or so, but I more often think of it as paying $100 for a meal, 30% of which is a tip. Makes me feel better somehow, less ripped off I guess.<br /><br />john tatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10088632798195131329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-91692641510872198732021-11-02T14:28:12.466-05:002021-11-02T14:28:12.466-05:00I go to Milwaukee to see the Cubs it's alot ch...I go to Milwaukee to see the Cubs it's alot cheaper the park is nicer and fewer faux cubs fans. FMEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06829632906445535928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-17084328316502410662021-11-02T12:17:45.027-05:002021-11-02T12:17:45.027-05:00Yeah, some sort of clearer communication about the...Yeah, some sort of clearer communication about the surcharge would certainly seem to be in order. I don't envy any involved in the restaurant trade these days, but $14 in order to serve breakfast to 4 people does seem a lot "to cover the various plague-related challenges." And kgander and FME are right; it's an appalling way to treat their staff.<br /><br />The photo kinda makes me wonder what exactly the difference is between "a butter lettuce salad" and half-a-head of butter lettuce strewn on the side of a plate...<br /><br />I understand your attitude toward the Berghoff, but never returning to that gem of a place due to the offenses of the ownership 15 years ago is akin to me to never stepping inside Wrigley Field because the Cubs are owned by the freaking Ricketts clan. Principled, yes, but allowing them too much sway in keeping me from something that I enjoy. (That being said, we hardly ever go to either place anymore, and certainly haven't in the past couple years.)Jakashnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-47158627692910379722021-11-02T12:17:31.473-05:002021-11-02T12:17:31.473-05:00Now we know why help is so hard to find.Now we know why help is so hard to find.Loviehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10377747416558039893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-15424640546702210352021-11-02T08:35:09.620-05:002021-11-02T08:35:09.620-05:00They should just raise their prices & get rid ...They should just raise their prices & get rid of any surcharges!Clark St.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09634234069783123180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-41486285970397576712021-11-02T07:01:47.437-05:002021-11-02T07:01:47.437-05:00my various wives and girl friends , even one of my...my various wives and girl friends , even one of my sons have worked in restaurants serving food . I find it appalling that an establishment would put an employee in the position of having to explain that the owners were stealing the tips and the staff would have to entreat upon customers for additional payment so as to be tipped. <br /><br />I understand staying open through the shit show was tough but putting additional weight on the shoulders of their employees is Dickensian.<br /><br />lots of other jobs out there though. thank godFMEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06829632906445535928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-370280729895001312021-11-02T06:37:23.719-05:002021-11-02T06:37:23.719-05:00Regarding the Berghoff's demise, your previous...Regarding the Berghoff's demise, your previous description that it "faked its own death" sounds more spot-on than "pretended to close". A $70 tab for four breakfasts at a two-dollar-sign place sounds like a bargain in late 2021 dollars. Could it be that they simply tacked on the "Service charge" instead of raising their base prices like the breakfast joints I've returned to post-COVID? It seems like a way they can fob off the increase on the service staff, who are likely not seeing those charges added to their tip pool. If that's the case, it's pretty underhanded; c.f. the Berghoff.kganderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11005895232135682751noreply@blogger.com