New Fishtown Restaurant Turning Heads With Its 'No Tipping' Policy
By Hadas Kuznits
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Girard Brasserie and Bruncherie, at Girard Avenue and Marlborough Street in Fishtown, is still under construction, but it's getting more attention than your typical restaurant opening due to its "no tipping" model.
That means they'll be paying all staff members a living wage plus fringe benefits.
How can they afford that? "The hard and fast answer to that is the owners make a lot less money," says co-owner Cristian Mora.
Those who attended a job fair for the restaurant say Mora's business model is quite attractive.
"Benefits, paid days, sick days, that's wonderful! That's every worker's dream!" says server Sean Lynch, 21.
Server Alexa Koch, 26, agrees:
"I hope it would catch on because it's better to make a living wage instead of not knowing if you're able to make a living wage and pay water, etc."
"I think the new concept is going to open the eyes of the residents of Philadelphia to see that there are other ways of doing business within the restaurant industry," adds fellow server Katie Breen, 31.
And by investing in his employees, Mora says, he'll actually be saving some money. He says after hours of training, staff turnover is one of the biggest unwritten expenses in the restaurant industry.
"And then there are the intangibles," he adds. "The fact that they know the menu better, the people better. It just makes for a better experience for the guests. There is less waste, less mistakes."
Girard Brasserie and Bruncherie is expected to open at the end of next month.
