Restaurant owners in World Cup cities take matters into their own hands over fears customers wont tip

As restaurants in several FIFA World Cup host cities welcome an influx of international visitors this weekend, some operators are adding automatic gratuities to customers’ checks — citing concerns that guests from countries without a strong tipping culture may unknowingly undercompensate workers. Fox News Digital reported last month that the Missouri Restaurant Association advised Kansas City establishments to temporarily implement automatic gratuities of 20% during the soccer tournament.Now, some restaurants in other World Cup cities like Atlanta and Philadelphia are among those doing the same, according to Food & Wine.Supporters say the move is intended to protect workers who rely heavily on gratuities and avoid confusion for visitors unfamiliar with American tipping norms.Some restaurant operators told TheTravel that they’ll display notices informing customers of the surcharge.“We’ll have that posted on the menus themselves.We’ll have it posted in the restaurant,” Bob Riekhof, general manager of La Bodega in Kansas City, said in a statement. “Probably the biggest part is just making sure our servers are communicating to the guests that the gratuity has been included on the check.”Ben Fileccia, senior vice president of operations and public affairs for the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association, told the publication that business owners “don’t want the servers or bartenders or the tipped employees to have to explain what the tipping custom is.”He said the notices will make “for a much smoother transaction and no awkward conversations.”Others, however, worry that mandatory gratuities could add to growing consumer frustration over fees and surcharges.“Restaurant traffic has been declining, and anything that is perceived to increase the cost does risk some consumer backlash, particularly if it’s not well-publicized or if consumers feel there’s an expectation to tip on top of the automatic tip,” David He...