Illinois restaurant owner regrets 'bringing shame' to family after confrontation with customer who didn't tip
A video showing a heated exchange between an Evanston, Illinois, restaurant owner and a customer has sparked a broader conversation about tipping culture in America.
Kenny Chou, who owns Table to Stix Ramen, admits he lost his temper on April 19 when he confronted the customer outside his restaurant for not leaving a tip. The dispute was captured on a smart phone and spread quickly on social media.
I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast)
Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how
Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10)
Chou now regrets 'bringing shame to my wife as a husband, as an owner. At the same time, to my mom and dad,' he reflected to CBS News Chicago in a story published April 24.
The incident has stoked debate over a question that seems to grow more divisive by the day: when is tipping expected and when is it optional?
Backlash following the video was swift. The restaurant deactivated its social media accounts and stopped taking calls. Yelp was also closely monitoring its review page. Messages written in chalk appeared on the sidewalk outside the restaurant accusing the establishment of being anti-Black, according to the local broadcaster.
Chou says the confrontation began when he followed the customer, described as a regular, into the street, intending to tell him he was no longer welcome at the restaurant after he declined to leave a tip multiple times.
'I paid for my food. I handed you $20. You cannot charge more than what the menu says, so what are you talking about?' the customer explained in the video.
According to CBS News Chicago, when asked why he didn't tip, the customer explained online: 'Oh, I just didn't want to.'
Read more: This hedge fund legend warns US stock market will crash a stunning 80% — claims 'Armageddon' is coming. Don't believe him? He earned 4,144% during COVID. Here's 3 ways to protect yourself
Chou has since made efforts to extend an olive branch. He says the customer's brother visited the restaurant and they had a productive conversation. Chou sent him home with a handwritten apology, the customer's favorite dish and an offer to reconnect.
'My door is open for you, man. You know, come on by anytime,' Chou said.
The incident hits a nerve at a time when tipping has become increasingly controversial. High prices have led to some consumers tightening their belts. Many Americans have become exhausted by today's tipping culture.
A survey commissioned by Bankrate in 2024 found that 59% of U.S. adults have a negative view of tipping, while over one in three (35%) feel things have been taken too far. In addition, around 37% of consumers believe businesses should simply pay employees more rather than rely on tips.
While consumers may be feeling the pinch, service industry workers are, too. Tips often make up a large portion of their income, especially in states where employers can pay them below minimum wage.
This financial tug-of-war is also generational. Bankrate's tipping survey found that 23% of Gen Z respondents feel tipping has gotten out of control, vs. 40% of Gen X and 46% of baby boomer respondents. In a twist, however, it's noted that 35% of Gen Z respondents always tip at sit-down restaurants, whereas 56% of millennial, 78% of Gen X and 86% of boomer respondents do the same.
Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it
Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead
Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you?
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
South Dakota is on track to spend $2 billion on prisons in the next decade
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Two years after approving a tough-on-crime sentencing law, South Dakota is scrambling to deal with the price tag for that legislation: Housing thousands of additional inmates could require up to $2 billion to build new prisons in the next decade. That's a lot of money for a state with one of the lowest populations in the U.S., but a consultant said it's needed to keep pace with an anticipated 34% surge of new inmates in the next decade as a result of South Dakota's tough criminal justice laws. And while officials are grumbling about the cost, they don't seem concerned with the laws that are driving the need even as national crime rates are dropping. 'Crime has been falling everywhere in the country, with historic drops in crime in the last year or two,' said Bob Libal, senior campaign strategist at the criminal justice nonprofit the Sentencing Project. 'It's a particularly unusual time to be investing $2 billion in prisons.' Some Democratic-led states have worked to close prisons and enact changes to lower inmate populations, but that's a tough sell in Republican-majority states such as South Dakota that believe in a tough-on-crime approach, even if that leads to more inmates. For now, state lawmakers have set aside a $600-million fund to replace the overcrowded 144-year-old South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls, making it one of the most expensive taxpayer-funded projects in South Dakota history. But South Dakota will likely need more prisons. Phoenix-based Arrington Watkins Architects, which the state hired as a consultant, has said South Dakota will need 3,300 additional beds in coming years, bringing the cost to $2 billion. Driving up costs is the need for facilities with different security levels to accommodate the inmate population. Concerns about South Dakota's prisons first arose four years ago, when the state was flush with COVID-19 relief funds. Lawmakers wanted to replace the penitentiary, but they couldn't agree on where to put the prison and how big it should be. A task force of state lawmakers assembled by Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden is expected to decide that in a plan for prison facilities this July. Many lawmakers have questioned the proposed cost, but few have called for criminal justice changes that would make such a large prison unnecessary. 'One thing I'm trying to do as the chairman of this task force is keep us very focused on our mission,' said Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen. 'There are people who want to talk about policies in the prisons or the administration or the criminal justice system more broadly, and that would be a much larger project than the fairly narrow scope that we have.' South Dakota's incarceration rate of 370 per 100,000 people is an outlier in the Upper Midwest. Neighbors Minnesota and North Dakota have rates of under 250 per 100,000 people, according to the Sentencing Project, a criminal justice advocacy nonprofit. Nearly half of South Dakota's projected inmate population growth can be attributed to a law approved in 2023 that requires some violent offenders to serve the full-length of their sentences before parole, according to a report by Arrington Watkins. When South Dakota inmates are paroled, about 40% are ordered to return to prison, the majority of those due to technical violations such as failing a drug test or missing a meeting with a parole officer. Those returning inmates made up nearly half of prison admissions in 2024. Sioux Falls criminal justice attorney Ryan Kolbeck blamed the high number of parolees returning in part on the lack of services in prison for people with drug addictions. 'People are being sent to the penitentiary but there's no programs there for them. There's no way it's going to help them become better people,' he said. 'Essentially we're going to put them out there and house them for a little bit, leave them on parole and expect them to do well.' South Dakota also has the second-greatest disparity of Native Americans in its prisons. While Native Americans make up one-tenth of South Dakota's population, they make up 35% of those in state prisons, according to Prison Policy Initiative, a nonprofit public policy group. Though legislators in the state capital, Pierre, have been talking about prison overcrowding for years, they're reluctant to dial back on tough-on-crime laws. For example, it took repeated efforts over six years before South Dakota reduced a controlled substance ingestion law to a misdemeanor from a felony for the first offense, aligning with all other states. 'It was a huge, Herculean task to get ingestion to be a misdemeanor,' Kolbeck said. Former penitentiary warden Darin Young said the state needs to upgrade its prisons, but he also thinks it should spend up to $300 million on addiction and mental illness treatment. 'Until we fix the reasons why people come to prison and address that issue, the numbers are not going to stop,' he said. Without policy changes, the new prisons are sure to fill up, criminal justice experts agreed. 'We might be good for a few years, now that we've got more capacity, but in a couple years it'll be full again,' Kolbeck said. 'Under our policies, you're going to reach capacity again soon.' Raza writes for the Associated Press.
Business of Fashion
2 hours ago
- Business of Fashion
This Week: Are Tariff Price Hikes Finally Here?
What's Happening: On Wednesday, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics will release inflation data for May, the first inflation reading taken entirely after Trump's tariffs went into effect. In April, consumer prices rose 2.3 percent, just under the economists' consensus. Delayed Impact: Forecasters are calling for a mild uptick in prices, if that. Many fashion and beauty brands have announced price increases, often to be implemented on select products over the summer rather than right away. This gives consumers a bit of time to acclimate to their new, more expensive reality. And it builds in room to change course on the off chance Trump calls the whole trade war off in the meantime. Rock and a Hard Place: This strategic approach to price increases is savvy, but for many brands also borne out of a lack of options. After raising prices so much in the post-pandemic years, companies are worried they'll lose customers by hiking further, even if they have a good reason. Questioning Reality: Whether consumers believe prices are rising can have a big impact on inflation, so all those early warnings from brands may become a self-fulfilling prophecy even if Trump doesn't announce a single new tariff. There are also growing questions about the numbers themselves. Last week, economists raised questions in the financial press about whether inflation data could still be trusted, noting hiring freezes and layoffs had curtailed the government's ability to conduct its massive monthly survey of consumer prices. What to Expect at The Business of Beauty Global Forum 2025 What's Happening: On June 9 and 10, The Business of Beauty holds its third annual gathering in Napa Valley. A second class of entrepreneurs will also receive The Business of Beauty Global Awards. In the News: Speakers include Hailey Rhode Bieber, fresh off her $1 billion deal. Tracee Ellis Ross will share her observations on the needs of the Black and texturised hair community at a time when DEI is under siege. Global Perspective: Founders from international brands including Beauty of Joseon, Ultra Violette, Byoma and Nykaa will address challenges and opportunities in the global beauty market. Attorney Lindsay Toczylowski will speak on her efforts to help her client, Andry José Hernández Romero, the Venezuelan makeup artist currently detained in an El Salvador prison. See for Yourself: If you won't be in Napa Valley, catch these speakers and more on the livestream. The Week Ahead wants to hear from you! Send tips, suggestions, complaints and compliments to
CNBC
2 hours ago
- CNBC
Why Disney and Universal are investing billions into their theme parks
The Walt Disney Company and Universal, two of the biggest names in theme parks, are both undertaking historic expansions to their experiences businesses. Universal Orlando Resort in May opened the gates to Epic Universe, its fourth theme park at its flagship resort. Epic cost an estimated $7 billion to build, according to numbers provided by the University of Central Florida. Brian Roberts, Chairman and CEO of Universal parent company Comcast, called it the "single-largest investment Comcast NBCUniversal has made in its theme park business". "It's so different than anything else that we've ever built, but certainly I think it's different than anything anyone's ever built," said Karen Irwin, Universal Orlando President and COO. Epic's opening coincides with an expansion of Universal Orlando's resort portfolio, adding three Loews hotels to bring its total to 11 operated on the property. Universal is betting that the addition of Epic will turn the resort into a full-week destination, a distinction that is normally reserved for its crosstown neighbor, Walt Disney World. Not to be upstaged, Disney is working on a historic undertaking of its own. In 2023, Disney announced plans to invest $60 billion in its experiences segment, which includes theme parks, cruise ships and consumer products. Of that investment, $30 billion will go to its domestic theme parks, Disney World and Disneyland. "We've got a lion's share of that investment coming to us," said Michael Hundgen, portfolio executive creative producer with Walt Disney Imagineering. "It's about finding what strikes the best creative intent in the most value oriented way possible." These investments come at a time when both Disney and Comcast are paring down or spinning off their linear TV segments, an arena that has seen volatility in recent years. By comparison, theme parks have been consistent revenue drivers for the companies in the post-COVID tourism bounce. However, the timing of these openings and expansions could prove challenging for both theme parks. Epic's opening summer coincides with fears of a travel slowdown due to economic volatility. "If you're uncertain how the economy is going to develop, then you're going to try to be more cautious in your spending," said Jorge Ridderstaat, associate professor at UCF's Rosen College of Hospitality Management.
