The issue of tipping in restaurants has long been a question, with the practice offering no guarantee that good service will be rewarded. That has caused some restaurants to look into different ways to approach what can become a problem among a waitstaff.
On the Strip Avenue in Pittsburgh, the owner of Bar Marco decided to get rid of the debate by simply eliminating the concept of tips. Kevin Cox has found that since he began doing this, the morale of the waitstaff has improved considerably.
Prior to this, Cox was like other restaurant owners, who were legally allowed to pay their staffs far below minimum wage, since the tips they received would usually make up any difference.
Cox’s plan was simple, with each full-time employee receiving a standard salary of $35,000, with health care and 500 shares of the company included. To make sure that each employee was committed to the plan, they were required to sign a contract that gave each of them additional responsibilities. In addition, bi-monthly finance meetings must be attended by employees in roder to keep everyone on the same page.
Ordinarily, that would result in a restaurant being forced to raise prices in order to cover the additional costs. However, Cox simply decided to expand his menu, host additional events and add to the covers that were doing in the wine room.
Employees are highly motivated to do their best at all times, knowing that increased buisness will help make them more money.