Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff – tipping is no longer accepted.
“We realized we can just skip the tipping,” Hong Dai with WoodHouse BBQ simply put it.
Twelve years ago, her husband Jacky opened the restaurant to create a place in North York that replicated the atmosphere of a market in northern China, grilling lamb, pork belly and chicken skewers on a charcoal barbecue.
“Because both Jacky and I are first generation immigrants, we know how hard it is to feel at home, at ease,” Dai said, adding that all of their staff are new Chinese immigrants. “This restaurant is more than just a business for us, it’s more like our living room.”
In the wake of the pandemic, they pondered how to repay their gratitude to customers who kept them afloat, with some now struggling with the skyrocketing cost of living. They came up with an idea and set it into motion last month.
Hong Dai with Wood House BBQ poses in a photo at the restaurant in North York. The restaurant introduced a no-tipping model, plastering posters on their walls and sharing the news on social media. “Tipping is no longer accepted,” the signs said. In its place, they introduced profit sharing, promising staff would earn at least the same amount as before, if not more.They also redirected their marketing budget towards staff bonuses.
“We do bookkeeping every month, and we do our profit sharing every three months, and part of the net profit goes to our staff according to work hours. That’s including front of house and back of house,” Dai said.
So far, staff have gotten a little more than they would have with tips, Dai said. “They are happy with it,” she added.
Meanwhile, prices have stayed the same, with four meat skewers ranging from $5.95 to 17.95, depending on the selection, and spicy clams with toasted naan sitting at $24.99.
Wood House BBQ's owner smiles from the kitchen, where he also works as a chef in the restaurant. For customers who want to show support to the restaurant, Dai asks them to leave five-star reviews and encourages them to donate a meal from the restaurant to a member of the community in need, through their partnership with Nourishing our Neighborhoods.
While the no-tipping model has worked out for the small family-run spot so far, she acknowledged that it might not work for every restaurant.
“We value connection over tips. Even before we announced the no-tipping policy, I always skipped the tipping option on the payment machine when I personally knew the customers and I always say, ‘You don’t need to tip your friends,’” Dai said.
Customers at Wood House BBQ gather in the North York Chinese restaurant. A block away from WoodHouse BBQ, Dai runs a coffee shop, Another Land Coffee, where they are also adopting a no-tipping policy and replacing it with profit sharing.
Ultimately, she said, “We all want to make it a better place to live, one meal at a time. “
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air Canada walks back new seat selection policy change after backlash
Air Canada has paused a new seat selection fee for travellers booked on the lowest fares just days after implementing it.
Province boots mayor and council in small northern Ont. town out of office
An ongoing municipal strike, court battles and revolt by half of council has prompted the province to oust the mayor and council in Black River-Matheson.
3 law officers serving warrant are killed, 5 wounded in shootout at North Carolina home, police say
Three officers on a U.S. Marshals Task Force serving a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm were killed and five other officers were wounded in a shootout Monday at a North Carolina home, police said.
'Shocked and concerned': Calgary principal charged with possession of child pornography
A Calgary elementary school principal has been charged with possession of child pornography, authorities announced Monday.
Health authority confirms cockroaches at B.C. hospital, insists they 'do not bite'
The Vancouver Island Health Authority is downplaying what staff describe as a cockroach infestation in a medical unit of Saanich Peninsula Hospital.
Toronto police arrest 12 people, lay 102 charges in major credit card fraud scheme
Toronto police say 12 people are facing a combined 102 charges in connection with an investigation into a major credit fraud scheme.
Winner of US$1.3 billion Powerball jackpot is an immigrant from Laos who has cancer
One of the winners of a historic US$1.3 billion Powerball jackpot last month is an immigrant from Laos who has had cancer for eight years and had his latest chemotherapy treatment last week.
Britney and Jamie Spears settlement avoids long, potentially ugly and revealing trial
Britney Spears and her father Jamie Spears will avoid what could have been a long, ugly and revealing trial with a settlement of the lingering issues in the court conservatorship that controlled her life and financial decisions for nearly 14 years.
WATCH 'Double whammy': What happens if you don't file your taxes by the deadline
The clock is ticking ahead of the deadline to file a 2023 income tax return. A personal finance expert explains why you should get them done -- even if you owe more than you can pay.