Interesting press release today, so I’m passing it along in full. Feel free to comment.

Park Kitchen, The Bent Brick, Le Pigeon, Farm Spirit, Navarre, and Luce Are First to Officially Signal the End of Tips

June 13, 2016 – Portland, Ore. – Acclaimed restaurateurs Scott Dolich (Park Kitchen and The Bent Brick), Aaron Adams (Farm Spirit), Gabriel Rucker and Andy Fortang (Le Pigeon), and John Taboada (Navarre and Luce) are implementing a uniform way of communicating to guests that their establishments are tip-free.  Over the summer and through the end of the year, the business owners will begin using a new “gratuity free” logo, publishing it on websites, menus, social media, in windows and any other Restaurant signage.

The gratuity-free logo is intended to signal that guests should not expect any other charges, including add-on service fees, beyond the menu price when dining at that establishment. Each restaurant owner will ultimately decide when and how to use the logo.  As previously announced, Le Pigeon is implementing a no-tip model starting June 18th.  Park Kitchen will officially drop tips on July 1st and The Bent Brick on July 2nd.  Aaron Adams’ Farm Spirit has been gratuity-free since it opened in June of 2015.  John Taboada has committed to using the logo at Navarre and Luce before the end of the year.

At the crux of the gratuity-free initiative is a desire to attract and retain great restaurant cooks and servers by creating a fair and equitable pay scale, without compromising quality of food or service.  Understanding that the message to the public would need to be clear, Scott Dolich initiated the discussion to the other restaurant owners about adopting a single image that could be used and recognized throughout Portland.

“Portland is enjoying incredible residential and tourism growth right now, due in part to our vibrant restaurant scene,” says Dolich.  “Our hope is that Portland diners will come to understand that giving no-tip establishments their patronage means they are ensuring the long-term sustainability of our local food industry.”

Dropping tips marks the second phase in Scott Dolich’s One House service model, where staff at both of his restaurants is now fully trained and executing traditional “front of the house” and “back of the house” roles, from serving to food preparation to cooking.  Overall menu prices will increase by 18 percent so that he may compensate all employees equitably, competitively and professionally.  He has increased schedules to full-time, thereby allowing them to qualify for the restaurant’s health insurance plan.

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