This is why I got a cheap Aeropress and milk frother. I pay enough for my latte, and the barista makes as much as I do, stop judging me for not tipping. I tip servers, not counter workers.
Do not tip the servers. It scares the sysadmins.
I don’t mind tipping for any hospitality service, but what I really hate about fast food and cafe tipping is that they often collect payment and push for a tip before the order was made incorrectly.
That's a good point. I also hate that about food delivery services. I tip my drivers well, but I don't like that I'm often giving a good tip and not getting good service in return. If I'd have known I was going to get bad service, I would have tipped based on distance only and it would be significantly less.
It's started to feel like a shake-down, honestly.
Don’t forget that the autotip screens usually calculate that percentage after tax, which is wrong, and make it a pain in the ass to tip a percentage on pre-tax like it’s supposed to be done, so they’re dishonestly wringing even more cents out of you!
I’ve had my aeropress for years and have a love/hate relationship with it. I go on streaks that make incredible cups, followed by the worst cups of my life when I inevitably forget the ratios or change grinds. I really do like it and wish I could be a snob but I just settle for my Nespresso (when it isn’t broken and needing warranty replacement, again).
They make apps for that now: https://f-droid.org/packages/com.omelan.cofi/
1 scoop grounds, heat water to 190f, fill water between 1 and 2 mark, steep 1 minute, press. Brilliance every time.
They'll keep it up as long as business is good. If people will pay 12$ for a latte and lines are out the door, and there are no regulations to stop price gouging and predatory behavior, why wouldn't they?
why wouldn't they?
It's not even a matter of "why wouldn't they," do much as a matter of they must.
Absent of regulations, any company that doesn't abandon every conceivable human moral in pursuit of more profit will find itself hopelessly out-competed by the ones that do. If your every competitor is charging $12 for a latte and paying their employees starvation wages, and you charge a reasonable amount and pay your employees a decent wage, then every hour you're in business your competitors will be making more money than you, and you will always fall behind, unless something comes along to close that gap.
Libertarians might try to say that eventually the free market will close the gap, but adults know otherwise. The free market doesn't give a shit about human decency, the environment, the value of mom and pop businesses, or any of that. The free market can only ever want to make more money, every year, at a faster rate of increase, every year. Forever.
Government is the only thing that can reasonably account for how things should be. Regulations are the only reason we don't have 80 hour work weeks and children in the mines.
Is $12 for a latte even price gouging?
Like, $12 for milk and eggs? $12 for a pound of veggies or a gallon of gas or a jug of water during a hurricane? Sure.
But I can buy a bag of beans for $12 and make ten cups easy. I just don't know if I'd call it price gouging because you're willing to pay out the nose for foamed milk.
Lattes aren't essential. Charging $12 for one is neither predatory nor price gouging. It's arguably exploitatative but I don't feel it's our job to tell people they're not allowed to waste their own money.
Acting on “what the market will bear” instead of what at cost as well as labour is predatory in that it is opportunistic in the basic definition of what makes predatory behaviour predatory. It is also gouging as it is setting a price range that can be considered exclusionary. And then to also attack a customer who feels this and speaks it can be considered victim blaming as you’re enabling these behaviours by dismissing the feedback of the victim, which again is being exclusionary by enforcing their money to be taken but not allowing they can be part of the feedback or setting boundaries of what is happening to them.
It is like people who continue to feed ticketmaster and the resale markets with their predatory fees and prices. Why shouldn't they keep doing it if people will keep paying their insane prices for nonessentials?
I have a hard time arguing for price controls for lattes. We aren't talking water or housing or basic staples of food here.
The barista is a tablet
At my local independent coffee shop the practice is that the baristas pay no attention and start working on your order as soon as you get to the tip screen so there's no pressure to assign a gigantic tip. They also have much better beans than Starbucks, to the point that the founder of this shop spun off the coffee bean sourcing/roasting into a separate business that he continues to manage and now is the supplier of beans for every independent coffee shop for a 50 mile radius
There’s a new coffee shop in Seattle that’s literally 4 robot arms making coffee at 4 different machines. There’s one guy in the store to keep things tidy, but that’s it.
Pay screen still asked for a tip.
so you actually tip the owner and just pay him extra while he's doing coke and jerking off at home
Pay screen still asked for a tip.
Mother fuckers
The barista is an AI- generated composite of the employees that it replaced displayed on a tablet.
Baristas and coffee connoisseurs exist in a perpetual state of disapproval, so you might as well save some money.
The baristas at the cafe my daughter and I usually go to (which is so good that even though it is half an hour away and one town over, we still go) are great. And really friendly. It's not especially cheaper than anywhere else, but they have a decent selection of non-coffee drinks like smoothies and bubble tea for my daughter, a drink called a dirty chai which I really like for me (chai with a shot of espresso), and a lot of surprisingly good gluten-free pastries and cookies. We aren't gluten-free and gluten-free baked goods that I've tried generally haven't impressed me, but these aren't bad. They also have gelato. Plus, a chill atmosphere and a lot of comfortable places to sit.
If you're ever going down I-70 through Illinois and pass by Marshall near the Indiana border, the Gypsy Queen Cafe is worth a stop, if for no other reason than to see a surprisingly upscale cafe for a tiny town in the middle of nowhere.
Edit: The menu on the website is incomplete. So is the menu on their sign. It's sort of distributed throughout the store. That's the one thing I don't like about it, but I'm used to it now.
Just about anywhere that sells coffee in the states can make you a dirty chai, it’s my go-to coffee order. Even places where everything is just poured out of pre-prepared cartons, the chai is almost always killer.
And the company probably made a net profit of 5 billion — a 25% rise from the previous year.
And people complain that they are broke yet they continue to spend $$$ on things like cafe coffee
The barista is making 13$ per hour
We don't really have this whole tipping thing here.
I've had coffee in two places recently. One was in a hypermarket. I don't remember what the coffee costs there, because it came free with the meal. If the restaurant staff feel they don't get paid enough, I don't care if they get inspiration from France and torch every car in the parking lot. You see, I go to the hypermarket by foot. It's not that far away.
The other place I had coffee recently was in the train. 2.80€. I certainly hope the restaurant car staff gets paid well. They're technically railroad employees, after all. You don't fuck with railroad workers.
I've never heard the term "hypermarket" before today, but according to Google that's what these type of stores have been called since 1968 lol!
I've legit gone back to cash for petty transactions. If I feel like throwing the change in the tip jar, I will. But there are no stupid prompts for a tip to deal with. Unfortunately, a lot of places are going cash free. Professional sports games is one example. Hey beer man, thanks for handling me my $12 beer. No, I'm not tipping for that.
So I understand why so many places like stadiums and airplanes are going cash free, but then I wonder if that's even technically legal as cash literally says legal tender for all debts public and private.
The only place I ever use cash anymore is to fuel my sporadic video poker habit.
I damn near feel like a criminal using it anywhere else.
And the day you can go throw your debit card into a video poker machine is the day I stop gambling. As ferociously disciplined of a gambler as I am (and I am ferociously disciplined with my budgets) I cannot in any way see that eventuality as ending well for any customer.
Anywho, rambling tangents complete, I wonder if cash will remain viable over the forthcoming years.
Yeah, u definitely can't budget gambling if they have a card with all your money on it. Maybe they'll have what arcades have now where you buy a card, and load it with money or something. I also wouldn't gamble in a cashless society. As it stands right now, you win a few bucks, you just get cash. If it's all traceable, uncle Sam is going to want a cut of your winnings every time.
I haven't seen a $12 late where I'm from, they're usually about $4-5
Lately where I'm from, things that go on display for $4-5 tend to come with a $12 receipt
Remember to tip the machine that spits out your coffee.
Yeah and I'll tip a dollar when they clearly know what they're doing.
The prediction was a bust, because I haven't walked into any local coffee shops in 2024. I didn't in 2023 either.
I don't know what the lattes cost because I don't buy them. My coffee at home is great every day.
Oh I'm sorry, I thought America was all about turning the bull loose and protecting our beloved economy in its current form at all costs.
Actions have consequences. An economy designed for infinite growth/metastasis on a very finite world has consequences. We've only just begun to feel the consequences of our not merely tolerance, but encouragement of insatiable, unaccountable greed.
Buckle up. The price of lattes will be the least of our worries. Another 10 years and Chocolate and Coffee will probably be priced out for us capital batteries. Don't worry though, they'll make some cancer causing substitute that's a third as satisfying for half the price. Be sure to CONSUME it.
Make sure you have your "I got cancer from sugar substitute" insurance paid up! That won't be covered any other way! Easy and convenient payment plans start at just $195 paid every alternate 9 days! At that price you can't afford not to get it!!!
Today a 16oz caffè latte from Starbucks was $4.95 with no modifications.
You didn't even get avocado toast? What don't you care about the economy at all?
Headline: Gen z Can’t Afford Houses Because They Buy Avocado Toast
Gen z: [stops buying avocado toast]
Headline: Gen z is Killing the Avocado Toast Industry
I don't think they had that. I did see avacado cups, but no gluten involved.
Americanos used to be quite a bit cheaper than lattes. Which makes sense considering there’s no milk in them, save for any small bit of cream you put in. But sometime in the last two years they raised the price on americanos to be in line with lattes. I don’t go often, but when I do it stings to pay $6 for my drink.
I couldn't tell you, I stopped going to coffee bars when the coffee became more than half my hourly wage, I'll make my own coffee thank you very much.
Can't even go to a McDonald's anymore without spending at least $16, I've stopped going to McDonald's and started ordering Applebee's because if I'm spending $20 on a meal anyway I might as well spent $4 more on there two for 24 deal and get like three times the amount of food
I bought 4 double cheese burgers last night for less than 5 pounds. I'm in the UK though.
And have socialized healthcare (although poorly implemented).
Most of the shops got it got $8 but I van imagine some of the "fancy" shop could sell it for $12
And that's definitely just for specialty drinks, usually an up charge for additions and substitutes.
Black coffee vs a triple shot frappe with protein powder, oat milk, lavender mint syrup, on a raft, four-by-four animal-style, extra shingles with a shimmy and a squeeze, light axle grease, make it cry, burn it, and let it swim.
.. you forgot the PICKLES!
Now we just need a living wage for the customers
At least we've been always be allowed to strike by boycotting bad shops. What is the actual cost price of a latte over there?
The barista can ask their manager. If I have to come to you, that tip option doesn’t mean shit. Then I leave a 1 star review
The only exception is bartenders.
I tip every time I'm at a sit-down restaurant, and infrequently at other places (mostly local places, to keep them afloat - they have it harder than the food chains). That being said, if they want us to tip for just food prep and cooking, maybe make the food half-off, then we can tip them if the food is better than we thought? $5 burger...It was really good, I guess I will give them $9. $5 burger that is crap, well, it stays a $5 burger.
Or, hear me out, $9 burger no tip and I'll come back if it was good.
I mean, that works too I guess. But, if they insist on asking for tips, that's the only way I'm tipping at a no-service restaurant.
That's weird. My coffee is way cheaper at Dunkin Donuts and it's counter service so I don't fucking tip them.
I got a chai tea latte from a chain called Scooter's yesterday. Six bucks. For some milk and tea. Fucking highway robbery.
Yet you bought it. If nobody bought it then he wouldn't sell.
Scooter would have to go back to living in a van, solving mysteries with 3 other strangers and a dog.
That's Shaggy. Scooter was an alien cyborg that transformed into a motorcycle.
True. I didn't know how much it would cost until I already got there and once I was there I didn't really want to go hunt down some other place, and I was in kind of a hurry. So I paid for it. Never going there again though.
A venti 591ml caffe latte from Starbucks is about 8.08$cdn before tax or tip. I don't go to Starbuck much anymore.
Easy. Just make your own coffee. It's cheap. Start with an Aero Press, a cheap grinder and a decent water cooker. Nice beans. Done.
Is a water cooker different than a kettle? Serious question from someone who just started non-drip coffee.
I think they just used that as a descriptor as you can essentially cook water in a couple of ways. Microwave in a cup, use the hot water out of a boiler or hot water attachment on machine, boil in a pot on the stove. My preference is an electric glass kettle.
Or Nespresso! Their patents have expired, so now you can enjoy a world of great and easy coffee at home without sponsoring Nestlé! Both 3rd party machines and coffee pods are available.
First time hearing of Aero Press, interesting concept. I can also recommend the French press or going Turkish.
Aero press is the bomb when travelling. Awesome invention.
I'm leaving that tip option blank and putting a dollar in the tip jar lol
10% or 50 cents a drink and $1 for each hot meal at a counter. Servers get 20%.
2022 is not that long ago lol.
Negative tipping
Coffee: $10 Service fee: $3.50 Toilet fee: $1.50 Tip (we recommend 125-250%): -$20 Credit card fee (10% of total):-$0.50 Total:-$5.50
Surprisingly my shitty Starbucks lattes are still around 5-6 dollars.
A bargain.
Which local coffee shop? By now there's probably 8 of them, all selling what amounts to something a well built professional coffee vending machine could produce.
Imagine a coffee vending machine with all the same ingredients that they use, which isn't much really just different coffees and syrups and milks and stuff, and has the fancy coffee making gear inside to automate the whole process, even the fancy pour designs people like.
That really doesn't sound difficult at all compared to funding an entire shop, with rent, staff, electricity for everything, all those consumables, etc etc.
I'm not saying do away with coffee shops, I'm just saying that instead of having one around every street corner, maybe replace some of them with awesome vending machines, and leave those spaces free for a non-profit community space or something :-D
We have them in the UK. They are equivalent quality coffees to the coffee shop they are branded with.
Not quite as nice as a decent non chain coffee shop and they only use cow milk, but they aren't bad.
Kinda like this? https://www.cafexapp.com/locations
Image Transcription: Twitter Post
Chris Bakke, @ChrisJBakke
The year is 2024.
You walk into your local coffee shop. A latte costs $12.
You have the choice of tipping 75%, 95%, or 125%.
You sheepishly tap "75%" and feel bad about yourself.
The barista shakes his head in disgust.
Latte is about €3-5 here and no tip expected, so no.
I stopped tipping. I dont feel ashamed about it at all.
A large smoothie at Jamba Juice was $12.61 today. (15% tip)
I remember when Jamba was good (in 2001)
Just buy fruit and make your own at this point.
My dad once pulled the "there goes 5% of her tip" when a waitress at a slammed-lunch-rush-on-a-Sunday restaurant forgot his precious iced tea. I excused myself and went to the ATM at the gas station next door to get $40 cash. When the bill came, he paid for us, and as she came to pick up the receipt I stopped her and handed the money over. Dad asked me why I did that and I told him it was a lesson for him. Manners... who fucking raised these boomers?
I was there. I started slow clapping and slowly, but surely, everyone joined me as your father walked out in shame. The waitress came up to me and asked "who was that brave man that gave me that tip?" And I told her "your soul mate".
I kinda liked this ending, am I becoming a Facebook boomer? Send help
It's crazy to me that people spend money on coffee from restaurants. It's literally the easiest thing to make at home for pennies.
I agree with you, but what coffee are you buying that costs pennies to make at home? I don't buy the cheapest stuff myself, but I do get bags of whole beans and grind it myself. They are way cheaper than going someplace, but definitely not pennies.
Dozens of pennies, anyway. IIRC, my back of the envelope math on the french press for two mugs every morning is something like $0.30 per mug, and that's including an estimate of the electricity to heat the water. Tend to use a pour over these days, and the bean usage is slightly more (50g vs 42g).
I'm not buying the most elite coffee in the world, nor am I buying bullshit. Kinda like the middle of the road brand? I'm Canadian, so like 3 weeks of coffee costs around $10. I make enough for me and my partner to have a cup or 2 every single morning. Let's say conservatively that we have 1 cup each every day for 3 weeks. That's 42 cups of coffee for around $10. 10/42 = 24 cents per cup of coffee. Under a quarter = pennies.
Say you're buying the really good stuff for $15/12oz. Thats roughly 340g of coffee, with each shot of espresso being 10g at most.
So $15/34 shots works put to just shy of $0.50/shot, and that for stunningly pricey coffee. You can get that to $0.25/shot with bulk premium coffee or cheaper stuff. Add boiling water, and that espresso shot is a cup of Americano.
Still pennies a cup, even if it's 25 or 50 of them.
Don't tell me how fucking good my coffee is, ok? I know how fucking good it is. Because I fucking bought it ok? My wifes coffee tastes like shit. Because she buys shit coffee. But I'm not worried about the fucking coffre in my kitchen.
I don’t own the $10000 marzocco espresso machine that produces consistent heat and pressure to brew espresso correctly and steam milk so it froths without scorching, nor do I have years of experience to do that correctly, and I’d rather meet friends out than keeping my home perfectly clean so guests can come over any time.
Always enjoy yourself, but check out the bambino plus. It pulls beutiful shots with lovely crema and has a simple and excellent auto frother, all for $4-500.
You really don't need all that shit. An Aeropress, a french press, and/or chemex-style pour over all goes for <$50 each and isn't particularly difficult to learn how to use. Need a kettle and a good grinder. Grinder is the only thing worth spending money on, but for this setup, even a $200 grinder is probably overkill. You just don't want the bottom of the barrel blade grinders.
The one thing I'll pay for is espresso. Good espresso is incredible, and it's nearly impossible to do well without spending over $1000. Cheap espresso makers have channeling problems, or can't produce proper pressure, or both. You also need a very fine grind, so you're spending even more on the higher end grinders.
Sometimes I like paying for the experience of going and getting a cappuccino from a bougie coffee place instead of filter coffee from my crappy machine xD
The barista shakes his head in disgust
Its funny, because minimum wage laws are stagnant and tipped positions are even worse than the bottom rate. $2.35/hr to work in a position that's tipped.
I get it. Demanding 25% of the base price to pay your staff is a fucked way to do business. But if you're not going to pay them, their bosses don't seem interested in doing it either. Somebody's got to do it.
Maybe the problem with tipping is that corporations are able to play chicken with the consumer.
Who's willing to let the worker starve? The consumers are definitely more empathetic
Corpos and their willingness to weaponize empathy is pretty fucking evil.
Maybe the problem with tipping is that corporations are able to play chicken with the consumer.
How many restaurant owners do you know that would increase wages simply because the daily tip rate was falling?
Who’s willing to let the worker starve? The consumers are definitely more empathetic
Empathizing with one's working peers is central to emergent class consciousness. Tip your waiters today. Don't cross that picket line tomorrow. General strike the day after.
To be very clear, I sympathize with people who are stuck working a shitty job. That being said, the consumer does not have to give handouts to companies in order to pay employees. If people cannot survive off of wages being paid, they will most likely find a different job. Capitalism and the free market and all that jazz. Hit corpos in the only place they care about, their bottom line.
the consumer does not have to give handouts to companies in order to pay employees
I'll tip regardless.
If people cannot survive off of wages being paid, they will most likely find a different job.
There are a lot of reasons why this doesn't hold up. The first and foremost is that transitioning jobs requires savings. The way I see it, my tips are going to help them cross the hurdle to a better job when they get sick of this one. If I withhold my financial support from my working peers, I'm only aiding the employer as their staff remains precariously positioned.
Yeah, that somebody is their boss.
They do not appear to be any obligation to do so.
A barista isn't a tipped wage position. Virtually only restaurant servers are paid the tipped wage. Just because they put a tip jar out doesn't mean their hourly wage drops to pennies, you only get that wage if a significant amount of your income is from tips.
https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/wagestips
Legally speaking, baristas can be treated as tipped wage positions so long as the tips they accumulate earn them in excess of the minimum wage. Putting out a tip jar absolutely does mean their hourly wage can be cut. And thanks to common wage-theft practices by employers and negligence by local prosecutors, an employee who falls under the minimum wage has an uphill battle to recover the difference.
