They’re just passing along the fee the credit card processor charges them. If you didn’t have enough cash you could probably avoid the charge by using an ATM card.
Better marketing to present it as a cash discount.
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Yes, I understand that. But shouldn’t it be added to the bill after I present them with a credit card, not before?
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It’s totally sketchy since it doesn’t say that the entire service charge goes to the employees on top of their wages, or to pay for health care, or that none of it is used for operating expenses, or whatever.
Per hearsay from alleged employees and ex-employees of the Jon & Vinny’s group restaurants posted here, it doesn’t.
“Money is not great, owners put on an 18% service charge that goes straight to them.”
“Upper management doesn’t care about you 18% service charge included on all checks that goes directly back to the company… literally stealing your tips.”
“18% service charge so people dont tip. Owners don’t respect employees.”
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Based on my experience with a different J&V restaurant and another restaurant group. If it’s not clearly stated were the money goes, then it’s mostly going to the business.
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That’s some bs I love Jon and Vinny’s food but I think I’m probably going to boycott them in the future.
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Their food is great, but I’m not returning until they either drop the service charge or clearly disclose where the money is going.
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My question would be, if the servers’ take home pay is truly that bad relative to other restaurants, how do they get anyone to work there? Unless there is constant turnover, or particularly bad service (which I’ve never experienced at their spots), one would think folks are getting paid at market rates
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HM, your reasoning is probably correct, but I’d appreciate full disclosure (as would many others) even though I’ll never eat there (too expensive for my Social Security income).
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From the servers’ perspective, if management institutes a service charge and they don’t get tips, the pay is bad relative to anywhere they’d get the same pay (or even a few bucks less an hour) and tips.
I’m just suggesting the proof of the injustice lies in part in how bad their service is. I’m not a fiscal conservative and I hate even saying this, but if they’re being underpaid relative to other wait jobs in the market, they wouldn’t be able to retain decent talent.
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Just had breakfast at zazie in sf. At top of the menu in big letters No tip expected or required. Just a signature line on the check. Glad they’re able to make it work
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That looks so yummy.
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I agree with this. Animal (who has similar or same fee policies as the pizzerias) was closed way longer than other J&V establishments and LA restaurants. Yet when they returned earlier this year we saw familiar faces and our server said he was one of only two new workers in the house that night front and back. The rest worked there before the lockdown and some for years. Service and food were excellent as usual. These things say something. The truth possibly lies somewhere in the middle on this one.
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Animal may pay better because it’s an ambitious restaurant and largely responsible for the reputation Jon & Vinny have been coasting on as they roll out their lazy chain places.
They were probably able to keep many of their staff due to the catering business. Just shift folks to different cost centers.
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I haven’t paid too much attention in the last 7 years or so, but I believe Animal was the last restaurant to have a service charge and stuck to traditional tipping. The servers used to do very very well. I’m curious how they’re compensated now.
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I’ve only been to J&V Fairfax and it’s been a while so I can’t speak to coasting and lazy roll outs. I had some good meals there. But you could be right about Animal and @attran99’s point too.
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I say lazy because they’re just cloning the same thing instead of developing new concepts like they did with Animal, Son of a Gun, and the original Fairfax J&V’s.
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I guess as on every business, once you reach a certain age/experience level you aren’t always interested in taking high risk (which would be with every new concept) but you also have start thinking about families, retirement savings, financial aspects etc. and it is quite natural to expand on “regular” concepts to have an overall positive impact on your longterm financial security (I doubt most of us start a new, risky job in a new industry every few years once we are older than 40-45).
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KazuNori and Sugarfish have a good blurb:
A 16% fee will be added to your bill—
This is not a gratuity or tip. We are a no-tipping establishment. The Fee is revenue that is not segmented or designated in any way; it is taxed per state law and is used to fund all of our operations.
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