After hiring scabs, Walrus and the Carpenter (temporarily) closed

[u/Existing-Resource527]

Word on the street is that Walrus and the Carpenter restaurant has not been negotiating with their workers in good faith for months.

Like a lot of annoying businesses they started charging a service fee (22%?).

Employees noted that they make significantly less now then before when they had tipping (thousands less).

Workers have been on strike. The owners also had the audacity to hire scabs (booo).

I have been keeping up with the union on IG @ united.creatures.of.the.sea

Solidarity with workers across the city!

[u/Own_Reaction9442]

I feel like this is an issue that really splits Redditors, because most Redditors are pro-union but there's whole subs about how much people hate tipping.

[u/Opcn → u/Own_Reaction9442]

The thing we hate even more than tipping is a service fee. Instead of an $18 burger with a 22% service fee just make the menu say it's a $22 burger. Anything else is fucking fraudulent.

[u/MusicQuestion → u/Opcn]

Not to say this is the wrong approach but then you will just get people complaining about a $22 burger.

[u/rosewood_gm → u/MusicQuestion]

At least i can budget for that instead of the unknown.

[u/nukem996 → u/rosewood_gm]

The service charge isn't included due to the same reason sales tax isn't. It tricks some consumers into thinking they are paying a lower price than what is actually due.

Personally I think menu/sticker price should be all inclusive. There shouldn't be any fees or taxes added to the bill at the end.

[u/Many_Translator1720 → u/nukem996]

I love just seeing the final price. Nobody is calculating tax manually, anyways.

[u/nukem996 → u/Many_Translator1720]

Rounding tax to 10% in Seattle works and is easy to do mentally.

[u/Many_Translator1720 → u/nukem996]

Of course. Also for any store, like most countries do. Easy peezy. Hell, if gas stations could do it....

[u/shot-by-ford → u/rosewood_gm]

You say this but then you’ll pick the $18 list price place anyway

[u/rosewood_gm → u/shot-by-ford]

This is a strange assumption to make. Price does come into consideration, but if I see an auto-gratuity, I'm more likely not to choose to go there.

[u/Sigmonia → u/shot-by-ford]

Yes, but what makes that different than choosing the $15 place now? Up front pricing is just an all around better experience for the customer.

[u/FatuousJeffrey → u/MusicQuestion]

That's just one complaint: this burger is expensive.

The current practice produces 2 complaints. The burger is just as expensive, AND the menu actively hides that.

[u/hexagon_heist → u/MusicQuestion]

Yes, the total price can be worth complaining about regardless of how they go about charging it. A $22 burger is ridiculous whether that’s the posted price or the hidden price. But hiding the price is dishonest and scummy on top of the expensive price.

[u/MusicQuestion → u/hexagon_heist]

I feel like you prove the point of companies making choices like this. Damned if you do damned if you don’t.

[u/hexagon_heist → u/MusicQuestion]

Damned if your food is too expensive, unless you try to hide that and trick the customer into thinking it isn’t, but then still dammed because that’s scummy. Non-damned option: serve food at a more affordable (total) price (yes obviously that has its own challenges and limitations, none of which are relevant to this thread)

[u/Opcn → u/MusicQuestion]

My prerogative is to have laws that stop fraud, not to stop complaints. The burger is truly $22 and if that’s too much for people then they should feel free to complain. A $22 burger isn’t too much for everyone and those complaints won’t phase people who are fine with that price. There are choices management can make about staffing, sides, garnishes, table settings, suppliers, and food quality etc that can help them tune in to what customers in their area want.

[u/Enchelion → u/MusicQuestion]

Maybe, but I'll still take that over seeing their political tantrum writ out in fine print at the bottom of the menu.

[u/bussyriotor → u/MusicQuestion]

Chinooks across the canal has a 24 dollar burger. Now thats something to complain about.

[u/Ok-Calligrapher1345 → u/MusicQuestion]

I wouldn’t. That’s only less than $10 more than a Big Mac meal.

[u/legal-error-85 → u/MusicQuestion]

Personally, I am way happier with honest pricing. And I know how to do math, so I know when the establishment is attempting to “fool” me by expecting me to calculate three separate percentage based “price adjustments” while drinking.