Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.
A Southern California bar that appears to have publicly shamed four customers for leaving a $25 tip on a nearly $400 tab unleashed a social media firestorm — with a slew of enraged commenters turning the tables on the hapless establishment.
The Salty Dawg Tavern in Orange found itself in the dawg-house over the weekend, after posting a customer’s receipt to its Instagram story, in an apparent effort to to embarrass the group for failing to fork over a more generous gratuity.
But rather than gain sympathy, the watering hole in the upscale Orange County town became the target of an online pile-on — with a viral Reddit post that attracted almost 10,000 upvotes and 780 comments before moderators shut down the spicy discussion.
“To the four young people served for hours. Spent $400 like a baller and tipped like they were splitting a happy meal,” read the bar’s now-deleted Instagram story, which included a photo of the receipt.
The offending check showed a $375.24 bill with a $25 tip. A customary 20% tip would have been about $75.
After a screenshot of the tavern’s public tongue-lashing was shared online, however, outraged patrons torched the bar.
“Ridiculous that the business posted this and should be happy people are spending money at their establishment,” the original poster fumed. “If you can’t pay your employees enough you should shut the doors!”
“What a dumb thing for a business to say,” another wrote. “Calling someone out like that for spending 400 bucks. Honestly, it’s hard to believe such imbeciles run businesses.”
The Salty Dawg Tavern’s Instagram story was reportedly taking down six hours after it was posted — but the damage had already been done and commenters blasted the business for what they saw as an astonishing display of entitlement.
“Basically posting to social media that they don’t appreciate their customers,” a Redditor raged. “Nice. Boycott this sh-thole.”
The incident throws a spotlight on tipping culture in California — where restaurant and bar workers are already entitled to the full minimum wage before gratuities.
Unlike states where employers can count tips toward workers’ minimum wages, California prohibits that practice.
And while it’s not the only so-called “no tip credit” state, Californians were recently called out as the worst tippers in the entire country.
A nationwide study of tipping habits by restaurant tech bigwig Toast showed allegedly stingy Golden Staters in last place — slipping well below the 20% most Americans are now expected to pay.
Californians left an average 17.1% per transaction, the dirty data revealed — 17.6% per sit-down meal and 14.8% at counter service restaurants.
Source link
#Furious #California #bar #owner #shames #customers #tiny #tip #spend #splitting #Happy #Meal