There's controversy in Philadelphia over whether a restaurant can withhold tips from its wait staff, thanks to a review of Arbol Cafe published in the Philadelphia City Paper. An alleged former employee posted a comment following the review, asserting that "tips from customers are kept by the owners," and urging customers to never tip. Arbol Cafe responded in a second comment, stating that "all money generated goes towards financing the rennovations as well as aiding us in being able to pay the workers well above minimum wage," which essentially confirms that waiters in fact do not see their tips. Arbol Cafe further justifies their position by informing that they do not hire waiters and waitresses, but rather persons interested in working and growing as a team.The response generated a slew of reader comments, with harsh words on both sides of the argument. The controversy has since been written up in this post on MenuPages blog Philadelphia. Of course, Arbol Cafe isn't the first business to come under heat for it's tipping policies lately. Remember the Starbucks tipping story, as well. So, what do you guys think? Is Arbol Cafe right to do this?
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