Atelier Crenn, one of San Francisco’s most critically acclaimed restaurants, has joined the battle against the ridiculous American practice of tipping. Diners will now pay a 20 percent “guest experience” fee so Crenn can better compensate its employees, especially back-of-the-house staffers like cooks who’ll see their wages go up substantially! Atelier Crenn is most definitely a GOOD DEAL and a STRONG BUY. (Photo: Patricia Chang/Eater).
NO MORE TIPPING!!!! Note that Crenn went with a service charge of sorts, instead of going service-included, which she says is for transparency reasons, but it also helps keep her prices on par with comparable restaurants. And that’s no small matter for competitive reasons; venues that take the service-included path see their prices go up about 20%. Either way, this is a COOL development.