Tipping

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Ghost Econ

Yeah, I'm not tipping at fucking Panera. The point of tipping is because they aren't paid a minimum wage, not because they did the job they're paid to do.

https://www.allrecipes.com/should-yo...rants-11910093

I've said it multiple times, but Panera is the reason this shit went mainstream. And the worst part is, you do damn near EVERYTHING at that place! You order, you get your drink, you pick your seat, you go pick up your order, and then you CLEAN YOUR OWN DAMN PLATES AND SILVERWARE for them! At least at normal places, you have throwaway stuff so it's not a big deal. But at Panera, they use real plates and utensils, and they require you to scrape all the shit off and put them in the right places. I usually had to go to the bathroom to clean up after cleaning for them. That and their overpriced, tiny portions is why I haven't eaten there since around Covid time.

[Ghost Econ]

Why should I expect to tip at like a Moe's or a sandwich shop? Because they make the food in front of me? They're literally not doing anything I can't see a Mcdonalds worker doing 5 feet behind the counter, except at Moe's they're on display like a zoo animal.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I've said it multiple times, but Panera is the reason this shit went mainstream.

Is Panera really popular enough that it could be ... Patient A?

Not griefing you, I just don't perceive Panera having a broad enough base to be pervasive.

Maybe that's a by-location thing, I just don't know that I've ever once seen what I'd consider "an average person" IN a Panera. It's pretty much relegated to women-of-leisure with a side dose of college-students-with/from-money around me. The location right next to Will in Miami during law school was similar, minus the college students.

Maybe the occasional business lunch/snack, but even those seem to involve the women-of-leisure set.

{shrug}

[Ksyrup]

They're plentiful here. But more importantly, they were the first "fast casual" place to openly prompt for tipping. It spread from there.

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I've said it multiple times, but Panera is the reason this shit went mainstream. And the worst part is, you do damn near EVERYTHING at that place! You order, you get your drink, you pick your seat, you go pick up your order, and then you CLEAN YOUR OWN DAMN PLATES AND SILVERWARE for them! At least at normal places, you have throwaway stuff so it's not a big deal. But at Panera, they use real plates and utensils, and they require you to scrape all the shit off and put them in the right places. I usually had to go to the bathroom to clean up after cleaning for them. That and their overpriced, tiny portions is why I haven't eaten there since around Covid time.

I've never been to a Panera, the whole real plate/cleanup thing seems so strange. I have seen them when visiting my kids and will make sure I never go. Out of curiosity, what do they do if you just leave without cleaning up?
Stop you at the door (like a shoplifter) and call the cops and tress pass you? Or does everyone look at you like you're the asshole?

[Ksyrup]

Oh I don't know. But it's clear they expect you to take your stuff over to the garbage, and they've got bins to put the stuff in after you scrape what's left into the garbage.

City BBQ does the same thing.

[Passacaglia]

Probably depends on the location and time of day (and may be different since it's been several years since I went there with any regularity) but in my experience, while they do have the bins and such, they do often come by and offer to take your stuff.

[Ksyrup]

I haven't eaten there is years. Maybe they do that now. But the gall of asking for tips at the time you order and then requiring you to even pick up your food from the counter when it's ready and leaving bins to put plates in after you're done was ridiculous from the get-go.

[Lathum]

The craziest thing I saw was Newark airport has self checkout machines that ask if you want to tip at the end.

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Is Panera really popular enough that it could be ... Patient A?

Not griefing you, I just don't perceive Panera having a broad enough base to be pervasive.

Maybe that's a by-location thing, I just don't know that I've ever once seen what I'd consider "an average person" IN a Panera. It's pretty much relegated to women-of-leisure with a side dose of college-students-with/from-money around me. The location right next to Will in Miami during law school was similar, minus the college students.

They're pretty ubiquitous around here. On top of the above demographics you also get the "retired guys getting together for coffee".