There is currently a terrible shortage of available workers for the hospitality industry in the Tampa Bay area. Many servers here must work two jobs just to survive. They worry that bringing in foreign labor will deprive them of that second, and very needed, job. Local restaurant owners tell me it's not feasible to pay a living wage to servers, that diners would reject menu increases to cover the server's wage, and they site polls showing the same Kerri mentions- where diners said they prefer to use a tip as a means of exerting some control over service. And so we go, around and around and around.
Servers are unhappy.
Diners are unhappy. All I can do is research and report on the experience of those few American restaurants who've tried it. All pertinent input is appreciated. All rights reserved.