Top NYC restaurant eliminates tipping in ongoing dining trend

The decision by major players to move away from gratuities could pave the way for significant changes in the North American dining culture. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

One of New York’s most sought-after dining destinations, the triple Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park, has become the latest high-end restaurant to eliminate tipping.

After Per Se, The French Laundry, Chez Panisse, and all 13 of Danny Meyer’s New York restaurants including the popular Gramercy Tavern and Union Square Cafe, clients dining at Eleven Madison Park will no longer have to perform any mental math at the end of their meal, as service will be included in the price beginning next year.

That translates to a price hike from $225 for a lunch or dinner tasting menu, to $295 in 2016, reports food blog Eater.com.

The change comes into effect as New York raises its minimum wage from $8.75 to $9/hr as of December 31.

Minimum wages for tipped workers will jump from $5.65 to $7.50 on the same day.

The decision by major players to move away from gratuities could pave the way for significant changes in the North American dining culture where tipping is deeply enshrined in the hospitality industry -- a tradition that eludes other parts of the world.

In a letter from restaurateur Danny Meyer published in October, the head of the Union Square Hospitality Group explained that the rationale behind the new changes is to put all restaurant workers -- cooks, dishwashers and expeditors -- on a level wage field.

"The gap between what the kitchen and dining-room workers make has grown by leaps and bounds," Mr. Meyer said, noting that kitchen income has risen marginally by 25 percent over 30 years.

“We will now have the ability to compensate all of our employees equitably, competitively, and professionally.”

In recent years, critics have been challenging the age-old custom of tipping, calling out the two-tiered system for heavily discriminating against a predominantly female workforce, and allowing employers to shirk their responsibility of paying employees fair wages.