, Columnist
Tipping Actually Makes Some Sense
It's a human connection, not just part of the price.
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If you want to get economics pundits excited, bring up the issue of tipping. Most of my fellow pundits despise tipping, the way they despise the Electoral College and the penny. Well, the pundits are sure to be rejoicing. Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group, which runs more than a dozen restaurant chains, just said it will eliminate tipping at all of its establishments.
The end of tipping would bring American restaurant culture closer to the global standard. But the celebration in the press may be premature. The issue of tipping is a lot more complicated than it seems, and it isn't clear that its death would be a good thing.