The Daily Valet. - 9/26/23, Tuesday

✔️ Tips vs. Service Charges

Tuesday, September 26th Edition

By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor

Why don't we just split the check ... and the service charge?

Today’s Big Story

Tips vs. Service Charges

The era of America’s subminimum wage for tipped restaurant workers may be ending

Could America get away from its runaway tipping culture? Some think that the growing push to raise the minimum wage for tip-earning workers is the first crucial step. And that does make sense. When hourly wages ring in as low as $2 to $10 an hour, those workers have to rely on tips.Chicago, the nation's third-biggest city and a bonafide foodie capital, seems poised to eliminate the subminimum wage for tipped employees like servers and bartenders at its October 4th meeting—that would boost a waiter's wage to the city's standard of $15.80 per hour. But CNBC says the move will have uncertain consequences for not just workers but diners and restaurants.If this goes through, advocates say it could have a ripple effect across the country. They hope it will assure a living wage to working-class staffers, and address a legacy of racism, sexism, and even “looksism,” the widely held (and statistically supported) view that prettier waitresses get bigger tips. But opponents say it could slash worker pay and restaurant profits.Restaurant owners are split on the issue. Some businesses say raising the wage can help them maintain skilled workers. While others argue the effort will take a serious bite out of profit margins. Ultimately, making up for the cost could be dependent on driving up the price of your plate—most likely in the form of “service fees”. Restauranteurs like Rick Bayless are now experimenting with such charges while de-emphasizing tipping without prohibiting it. Could it help make dining a more straightforward process, instead of the ambiguity that comes with tipping. Since charges have started showing up on bills, tips are already starting to dwindle.Toast, a point-of-sale and payment-processing company focused on the restaurant industry, released data earlier this month showing tips at full-service restaurants were down in the second quarter of 2023 to an average of 19.4% from 19.7% in the first quarter. The company said that was the lowest tip average since the start of the pandemic. It theorized that a number of factors could be behind the downturn, including so-called “tipping fatigue” and inflation, but also the recent addition of service fees by many restaurants.

Diner's Choice:

Nearly half of Axios readers said they prefer to tip when dining out (48%), 29% said they prefer a service charge, whereas 23% said they would simply like higher menu prices instead.

The Changing Landscape of Schools

SCHOOL SHOOTINGS HIT ALL-TIME HIGH FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW

The number of school shootings in the U.S. just hit a record high. Again. There were 188 shootings with casualties at public and private elementary schools during the 2021-22 school year, according to new federal data. USA Today reports that it's the second year in a row that the number of shootings with casualties hit an all-time peak in American schools. And it's more than twice as many casualty-involved shootings than were last recorded: Last year's figure, 93, was the highest in two decades.Already this year, at least 37 shootings were reported on K-12 school grounds, according to a data analysis as of September 19. According to CNN, gun violence has changed day-to-day life in and out of the classroom—with more time and resources being funneled into preparing for worst-case scenarios.We're talking about bulletpoof backpacks selling out because they're so popular. And a slew of new classroom additions that “look ordinary but serve a hidden purpose.” Things like whiteboard safe rooms, bullet-resistant windows that double as emergency exits and auto-locking doors. We're not changing gun laws. But we are changing what the landscape of learning looks and feels like a for a generation of kids. But I guess if it keeps them alive, then it's worth it?

Meanwhile:

Vox explains why the White House’s latest gun violence initiative has activists optimistic that it could bypass congressional inaction.

An El Niño Winter Is on Its Way

Here’s what that could mean for different parts of America

Fall may have only just begun, but it's not too soon to look ahead to winter—especially since this one may look drastically different than recent years because of El Niño. Unfortunately, an intense summer of wildfires, flooding and record scorching heat may transition into another season of terrible weather.According to the government's Climate Prediction Center, a “strong” El Niño has ripened in the tropical Pacific, with sea surface temperatures in an area critical to the course of U.S. winter weather averaging 2.5 to 3 degrees above normal. And the probability that it will remain strong through the winter is more than 70%, climate center physical scientist Michelle L'Heureux said last week. The periodic warming, which occurs every two to seven years, is part of a natural cycle, the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO. When the waters are cooler, as they were for the previous three years, the Pacific is said to be in the state of La Niña.This year's El Niño officially began in June, is expected to be strong this winter and last at least into early next spring. Meteorologists are now forecasting that parts of the country may experience a colder and drier winter with more snowfall than usual this year, while the western region of the U.S. will experience warmer and wetter conditions. As for the mid-Atlantic and northeast, they'll likely get chillier earlier than usual. Snowfall is forecast to be above normal across most snow-prone areas, except for the Pacific Northwest.

Ski Report:

According to Powder we should anticipate warm and dry conditions in the north and northwest (sorry, Washington and Montana skiers), with wetter weather in the southeast.

Scientists Discover a Cure for Garlic Breath

And bonus ... it's an easy home remedy

We're living in the age of artificial intelligence, record breaking vaccine development, heading back to the moon, and being on the brink of bringing back the wooly mammoth from extinction. Which is to say, science is doing a lot right now. While perhaps not on the same scale as those endeavors, a few researchers from Ohio State University are offering up another scientific advancement this week, publishing a research paper that declares a potential garlic breath remedy.And the antidote is something you have in your kitchen. That magical ingredient that seems to neutralize that offending odor after eating something deliciously doused in garlic is—drumroll, please—plain whole milk yogurt. The researchers told The Takeout that yogurt's water, fat and protein components help neutralize some of garlic's odor. After experimentation, a protein complex composed of whey and casein (a protein found in milk) was particularly effective. “We know proteins bind flavor—a lot of times that's considered a negative, especially if a food with high protein has less flavor,” said one of the study's authors. “In this case, it could be a positive.”According to Food & Wine, the researchers's initial findings will be used as the basis of further study to analyze different proteins and how they can be formulated to combat bad breath. And if you're wondering what kind of yogurt is best, the scientists say Greek-style yogurt is likely your best bet, thanks to its higher protein content. But the timing matters: Make sure to swallow a spoonful quickly after eating garlic.

FYI:

The little bulb is a member of the lily family and a close relative to the onion and leek. Its use in cooking dates back more than 5,000 years.

In Other News

Sen. Menendez Brushes Off Growing Calls to Resign

An indictment alleges that he exerted his influence in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cash and gifts.

The Internet Is Going Wild for a 1970s Lego Instruction Pamphlet. It’s a Fantastic Lesson in Marketing (and Parenting).

Study: Stick-Shift Take Rate Increasing in Both New and Used Cars

Daytime Talk Shows, After False Start, Eye October Return

Have you heard about ...

China’s secretive new smartphone

The reboot of ‘The Office’

The new ‘Friends’-themed Central Perk cafe

Break Out of Your Style Rut

Now is a great time to shake things up and experiment

When it comes to getting dressed, you know what you like. You know what you feel good in. But that's what makes it easy to fall into a routine of the same 'ol, same 'ol when it comes to your wardrobe. And that's not always a bad thing. Developing a personal uniform can save you from making a lot of choices in the morning and ensures that you always look and feel your best.But if you're getting asked “Didn't you wear that yesterday?” or if you've noticed that you look the same in every photo people post of you, it might be time to switch things up. Maybe you look at the clothes currently hanging in your closet and feel a little uninspired. Now is a great time to shake things up and experiment.

Get Started:

H ere is what style experts suggest to help you shift to a new vibe without looking like you abandoned your signature style.