Tipping Controversy: Warranted or Not?

What are your thoughts on automatically added tips when you're dining at a restaurant?

If you haven't heard about this recent tipping controversy, then let us, at Public Kitchen Supply, give you some back story and pose a few questions. In the last few weeks, some New York City restaurants are coming under fire for building in a tip to your bill when you dine out at their restaurant. Yes, you may say they already do that on parties that have over 8 people. This is not the same, this is every table, regardless of the amount of people.

These restaurants claim that these tips, though added to your bill when it's brought to you, is "optional." You have the power to cross out the 18% tip and instead include your own or, if you're feeling generous, you can include an additional tip beyond the 18%. 

As you can imagine, some people are obviously upset over this. It creates the sense that you have to pay their percentage, even if you don't feel it's warranted. When it comes down to it, most people don't want to feel forced to pay a waiter or waitress a set amount of money. They get that amount of money regardless of how well or poorly they performed. If you see your bill and you've automatically got an 18% tip on the bill and your waiter forgot your salad, left your drink empty for several minutes, and then messed up your entree, you would expect to have the option to leave a poor tip, not see a bill that already gave them an 18% tip. 

Some people also assume that automatically building in a tip creates a sense that the wait staff can slack off because they know they're getting an 18% tip regardless of how they perform, so why go above and beyond?

While these restaurants have signs saying you are allowed to cross out that tip and leave your own, some people feel like that's poor etiquette and that you should just pay that amount if they want to go back to that restaurant at some point. So how do you deal with a restaurant that does this? Would you continue to go or stop so you don't feel the pressure? 

If you were a restaurant owner, would you add a "optional" automatic tip to every bill?

If this caught on and became a national trend, would you feel it was justified?

Farmers Market Tips

One of the greatest things about summer is the ability to go to farmers markets every weekend. You get to skip the grocery store and go straight to the farmer who can give you the freshest produce possible. They can help you find the ripest fruit, teach you tips on how to pick one item over another, and tell you how long it should keep. It's personalized service! At Public Kitchen Supply, we know that to use our kitchen smallwares, you have to start with great ingredients.

Personalized service isn't the only benefit of a farmers market though, it's also healthier for you, not to mention it's helping your local farmers. Fresh produce can have such a richer flavor than store bought produce, it's incredibly hard to pass up.

Don't expect to just find fruit and veggies at a farmers market either, some vendors bring baked goods like homemade breads, biscuits, or cookies.  Now, the basics of farmers market shopping. Get there early! The earlier you are, the better selection you have to pick from. Here's the way it works: most farmers will bring a batch of goods and once they're gone, they'll pack up and leave. If you come later in the day, half the sellers may have already come and gone. Find out what time your local farmers market opens and get there close to opening. Not so early that people are still setting up, but not so late that you miss the goods. Also remember to bring cash and your own bags. In this day and age, we're used to people providing us bags and taking debit cards. Do not expect that of a farmers market. You might end up having to take multiple trips back to the car if you forget bags or might not getting anything at all if you forget cash. To reiterate above, ask questions. Most of the sellers don't mind answering questions about what they're selling. So if you're wondering something, just ask! Also, don't go overboard. Think about what you are actually willing to make throughout the week. You don't want to overbuy and end up wasting the food simply because it looked good. Only buy what you will use for the week. You can always come back next weekend and buy more! And there you have it. The basics of a farmers market from Public Kitchen Supply. It's a great way to enjoy the weather, get the freshest produce available, and have great meals all week long.

Touch Free Restrooms: the New Restaurant Trend

Did you know that a dirty restroom affects the way people perceive a restaurant's cleanliness? In fact, approximately one-third of people will never go back to a restaurant that has a dirty restroom, as discussed in this article from UPI.com. A survey claims this impressive fact; however, at Public Kitchen Supply, we do have a solution for this problem.
The solution is simple. Eliminate the transfer of germs or waste. With ever-changing technology, more and more of our appliances are becoming automated. Only just a few years ago we were amazed/shocked by automatic toilets. We love them, when they work; have hated them when they flush unprovoked, but all-in-all have learned to accept them as the new norm. Now, if you go into a public restroom you assume it'll flush for you, eliminating having to touch the germ-ridden handle.	Rubbermaid - Auto Flush
San Jamar - Chef Revival  Paper Towel Dispenser	It's no wonder that since then, more restaurants are turning their entire restroom into a touch-free haven. It's becoming easier to do this with the amount of touch-free restroom supplies being offered. You can choose to have your toilet flush automatically, your sink water turn on and off for you, the soap dispense automatically into your hand. Then, you can dry your hands with a paper towel dispenser that senses when you need a piece. All that remains left to be turned automatic is the toilet paper dispensers and doors.
Switching from the traditional manual appliances to touchless restroom supplies is a great way to keep your restaurant feeling clean. The less your customer has to touch, the more clean they feel, and the more clean they'll perceive your restaurant to be. It all goes hand-in-hand. If you're willing to spend a bit more to turn your restaurant restroom into an up-to-date automatic restroom, then they'll know you're serious about hygiene. The hygiene of your restroom translates back to the hygiene of your kitchen. Logically, there's a good chance you'll put into effect the same ways to eliminate cross-contamination of food and germs where the food is being made as you did in your restroom.	Chemco - Touchless Dispenser  for Hand Sanitizer
Whether you've already got touch-free appliances in your restaurant bathrooms and need to replace them, or you're ready to update, Public Kitchen Supply wants to help you. We know it can be tough and that's why we've got a selection of automatic restroom supplies on sale right now like our Auto Faucets and Hand Dryers.

Rubbermaid - Milano Auto Faucet	World Dryer - Auto Hand Dryer	Rubbermaid - Foot Step Trash Container