A social media post by the owners of Quail & Condor, a well-known bakery in Healdsburg, has prompted swift online backlash, reviving a familiar and increasingly contentious debate over tipping — and who should ultimately bear responsibility for restaurant workers’ pay.
Last week, the bakery’s owner, Melissa McGaughey, told Quail & Condor’s roughly 17,000 Instagram followers that gratuities had declined since the business moved to a new location.
“With our expansion … and the addition of new offerings, we’ve noticed a decline in our tip pool, which significantly contributes to our staff’s earnings,” the post said, noting that tips are pooled and shared among both front- and back-of-house employees, a practice that remains relatively uncommon, though increasingly adopted…