the Pineapple project

The pineapple is universally known as the symbol of the sense of welcome, good cheer, human warmth and familial fondness that stems from true hospitality. Here lie random thoughts and musings on the perhaps divinely inspired, (ideally) reciprocally respectful, courteous, and generous relationship between guest and host. Welcome! var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true};

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Tipping Won’t Change Until America Does

It’s a system rooted in racism and promulgated by the bulrush of unimpeded capitalism

Americans have a gift for deluding themselves into thinking that everyone is given a fair shake. The conservative pundits who want to scale back federal stimulus during the pandemic, for example, are convinced that we should all pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. Unfortunately, not everyone’s boots have straps. Some people are barefoot.

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Danny Meyer Brings Back Tipping at his Restaurants

The restaurateur says the economic difficulties of the pandemic forced the change, but he will advocate for new laws to create a more equita

The economic reality of the COVID-19 pandemic is coming just as more Americans are questioning the practice of tipping. Tipping can be traced back to feudal Europe—it was an extra given from a noble person to someone of lesser status. It spread to the U.S. in the latter half of the 19th century as wealthy Americans traveled in Europe and brought the custom back with them. European labor unions ended the policy there, but the act of voluntarily gifting a sum of money for a service rendered remained in the U.S. The timing is key to understanding why: Tipping arrived right around the time of emancipation. Some industries, including restaurants, lobbied for the right to hire newly freed slaves for $0 an hour, making them live solely on tips.

Today, federal law dictates that restaurants pay servers no less than the "tipped minimum wage" of $2.13 an hour, though some states have set a higher minimum. The idea is that tips can make up the difference from the standard minimum wage for other types of work. But critics say that can lead to discrimination—many studies have shown that people of color are systematically tipped less than white coworkers, and the need to make good tips can pressure female servers to tolerate inappropriate behavior.

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What can be done about empty tables? | JancisRobinson.com

“There are options available to restaurateurs. Taking a credit card in advance is the most common and effective option against losing money because of no-shows.”

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Boilerman Bar, Hamburg

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COVID-19 Positivity Rates Appear to Be Spiking in Many States That Reopened Bars

New research demonstrates the role that bars can play in spreading COVID-19—but at the same time, the industry is reeling

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Bars Are Starting to Reopen. This Is How That’s Looking.

As bars and restaurants begin to reopen in summer 2020, necessary changes go far beyond digital menus and contactless payment. Bar owners an

"Chefs work as hard as servers who work as hard as bartenders who work as hard as barbacks who work as hard as dishwashers," he says. "That doesn't mean we flatten everyone's rate. It just means an adjustment is due.” It also means, he says, that service charges may need to be incorporated into checks, putting an end to tipping.

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The job of a restaurant manager is mulitifaceted, but a very important part is ensuring the safety of both guests and staff members. COVID-19 has added a new layer of responsibility, especially as cases continue to increase, but reopening of the economy continues.

Guidelines are available, but they’re just that, guidelines. What have you done when an employee tests positive and others begin to call in sick? Do you close the restaurant, even for a deep cleaning? Or do you do nothing?

Some restaurants close right away for a deep cleaning and let their guests know, maintaining transparency during the process. Others chose to do nothing, hiding the facts and continuing operations as normal - hopefully following at least minimum legal requirements.

As restaurant guests, what are your thoughts and experiences?

As restaurant owners, or operators thoughts and experiences are you willing to share?

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US Foods to Provide Free Reopening Kits to Independent Restaurants Across the Country | RestaurantNews.com

Kits Contain Must-Haves to Aid Safe, Successful Reopening Rosemont, IL (RestaurantNews.com) US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE: USFD) is giving aw

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One Long Table

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Hospitality means primarily the creation of free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy.

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Where to Sip Superb Zero-Proof Drinks in D.C.

18 prime stand-ins for cocktails

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Washington Is the Most Exciting Food City in America

Despite the hype from such places as L.A., the nation’s capital is the town everyone should pay attention to.

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There’s No Such Thing as Medium Rare “Plus”

Classic French cooking approaches steak temperatures with a simple elegance. There are four basic ways the French order steak. Bleu means ve

“A restaurant kitchen isn’t an artist’s studio; it’s a factory. As a guest, you have a responsibility to understand that not every element of your dining experience is customizable. When you dine in a restaurant, you are enjoying plates or food that were engineered to be efficiently served simultaneously to a dining room full of hungry people. Expecting your initials monogrammed on every dish shows a lack of respect for the orderliness that is necessary for a cohesively functioning kitchen.”

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A seafood fraud investigation DNA tested fish sold in the US – 20% were mislabelled

What if the fish on your plate is not the fish you thought you were ordering? A study of seafood sold in food stores, restaurants and sushi

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When Restaurants Don't Make You Feel Welcome — FOOD & WINE

"When you walk into an environment where you don't feel that warmth and hospitality, you know it, you feel it on your skin."—Alpana Singh

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NYC's $15 minimum wage hasn't brought the restaurant apocalypse — it's helped them thrive

A new study suggests increasing pay for restaurant workers — who make up the bulk of low-wage earners — may not harm businesses as previousl

During the period NYC raised the minimum wage from $7.25 in 2013 to $15 in 2019, the city's restaurant industry outperformed the rest of the country in job growth and expansion, according to a new study.