08/01/2026
It was one year ago today that I made the decision to include 15% gratuity to all dine in orders. To avoid dragging this out, I’ll start by saying it was 100% the right decision. If you are interested in the reasons why, read on.☺️
So many things drastically changed in the restaurant industry post Covid. They all played a factor in major staffing issues but there was one huge problem that almost sank Perfectly Frank. As counter service eateries started encouraging tipping, and the ask for a “round up” EVERYWHERE you go, a tip rebellion began. It sounds dramatic, I know. But it was so, very real. Normal, hardworking Americans started feeling taken advantage of, and rightfully so. A gigantic portion fought back by taking tipping off the table.
Staff members were easily finding ways to make a bigger buck, encouraging them to leave before they even learned the ropes. It was new people training new people. It was call outs every single day because the dime wasn’t worth their time. It was shifts full of disgruntled employees trying to muster kindness while offering service that would not be rewarded, to a gigantic crowd that we couldn’t handle.
Because of the tip rebellion, our little shop was forced to make changes. I had several options to entertain. One, continue as is and fight a losing battle? A constant revolving door of team members, never staying long enough to offer great service. (I personally don’t think I would have survived). Two, remove the option to tip and raise prices significantly to increase payroll. But that didn’t seem fair to our large amount of take-out customers. Or three, include a fair gratuity to ensure we maintain a staff, ready and willing to serve our customers with a smile.
The first few weeks after implementing option three were intense. We received major push back from individuals who disagreed with my decision. I was bashed online and received several death threats on our landline. It was as if there weren’t thousands of other places they could go to grab a bite..
Once the noise quieted down and the dust settled, we were able to really focus on our new operation. The pros and the cons started to appear and our team attacked it together. I’m happy to report that in the last year, not ONE employee has left our shop due to lack of earnings. The call outs STOPPED and were replaced by people constantly offering to work for others. We were able to open back up on Tuesdays after three years of desperately needing a breather each week. We have had the time to train several employees in more challenging stations BECAUSE THEY STAY. We have weeded out the type of customer that doesn’t fit in here and are thoroughly enjoying our grateful customer base.
Haters said we would close within a month. They said we would never survive. Well here we are… surviving.
August 1 marks an important shift for us on the calendar. It’s the day that students start to come back. They start to trickle in throughout the next few weeks presenting us with our busiest season by the end of the month. We are ready, and so very excited, as this hot summer has lasted long enough.
A huge, heartfelt thank you, from me AND my staff to those of you who believe in us. Thank you for showing up and making us feel like we are worth it. Thank you for making me confident enough to stick up for my team, the team that keeps these doors open.. because I can’t do it alone.
💜Tarah
