A video with a heated exchange between an Evanston, Illinois, restaurant owner and a customer has fueled a broader conversation about the tipping culture in America.
Kenny Chou, who owns Stix Ramen, admits that he lost his patience on April 19 when he confronted the customer outside his restaurant because he did not leave a tip. The dispute was recorded on a smartphone and quickly spread on social media.
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Chou now regrets that “shame to my wife as a husband, as the owner.
The incident has fired the debate about a question that seems to be more division every day: when is it expected to tip and when is it optional?
Online fallout and apology from the owner
Backlash after the video was fast. The restaurant has deactivated its social media accounts and stopped calling. Yelp was also close to the holes of the assessment page. Messages written in Krijt appeared on the sidewalk outside the restaurant who accused the establishment of anti-black, according to the local broadcaster.
Chou says that the confrontation started when he followed the customer, described as a permanent, on the street, to tell him that he was no longer welcome in the restaurant after he refused to leave a tip several times.
“I paid for my food. I gave you $ 20. You can't charge more than what the menu says, so what are you talking about?” The customer explained in the video.
According to CBS News Chicago, when he was asked why he didn't tipped, the customer explained online: “Oh, I just didn't want that.”
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Chou has since made efforts to expand an olive branch. He says that the customer's brother visited the restaurant and that they had a productive conversation. Chou sent him home with a handwritten apology, the customer's favorite dish and an offer to reconnect.
“My door is open to you, man. You know, come on at any time,” said Chou.
Fatigue and rising frustration surrounded
The incident touches a nerve in a time when tips have become increasingly controversial. High prices have led some consumers to tighten their belts. Many Americans have been exhausted by the contemporary tip culture.
A Bankrate in 2024 commissioned by Bankrate showed that 59% of American adults have a negative picture of tips, while more than one in three (35%) feels that things have been brought too far. Moreover, about 37% of consumers think that companies should pay employees more instead of trusting tips.
Although consumers can feel the squeeze, employees in services are too. Tips often form a large part of their income, especially in states where employers can pay them below the minimum wage.
This financial tug of war is also generation. The Tipping Survey of Bankrate showed that 23% of Gen Z -Respondents have the feeling that tip has gotten out of hand, versus 40% of Gen X and 46% of the baby boomer's respondents. In a turn, however, it is noted that 35% of the Z respondents always tips in sit-down restaurants, while 56% of millennial, 78% of Gen X and 86% of Boomer respondents do the same.
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