Latest news with #KennyChou
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
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.
Hindustan Times
30-04-2025
- Hindustan Times
Illinois restaurateur chases customer for not tipping, threatens to ‘slap the s**t out'
A video of an Illinois restaurant owner following and threatening a customer for not tipping has surfaced online. According to the New York Post (NYP), the owner, identified as Kenny Chou of ramen shop Table to Stix in downtown Evanston, chased after the unidentified customer who paid his $19.89 meal with a $20 bill and didn't leave any extra money. An Instagram user who goes by Capital Gentlemen shared a video showing Chou confronting the customer. The customer keeps his cool and repeatedly asks the owner to back off. 'I paid for my food. I handed you $20. You cannot charge more than what you paid, so what are you talking about?' the customer says in the now-viral video. He then repeats, 'What do you want? I paid for my food!' Chou, however, responds with 'I'll smack the s**t out of you, you punka** s**thead.' He then yells, 'Shut your goddam f**king mouth. How are my staff supposed to make money? I'll slap the s**t out of you!' A post shared by Capital Gentlemen (@capital_gentlemen) The outlet reported that after the video went viral, people started leaving bad reviews for the restaurant on Yelp. Following the online backlash and physical protests outside his establishment, Chou apologised. 'It was a deeply regrettable moment where I, Kenny Chou, lost my composure,' Chou said. 'I stepped far beyond the bounds of respect and decency,' he added. According to CBS News Chicago, Chou also sent a free meal to the customer's brother and a handwritten apology. 'I apologise to him and to his family, and I was just asking if he could pass this message along to his little brother,' he told CBS News Chicago. According to the NYP, the Evanston Police Department is still conducting an investigation. When asked about this matter in the comments section of the viral video, the customer simply replied, 'Oh, I just didn't want to.'
Daily Mail
29-04-2025
- Daily Mail
Despicable moment ramen business owner chases man down the street demanding he tip for meal
The owner of an Illinois ramen restaurant was caught on video chasing a customer down the street demanding they leave a tip for their $20 meal. The confrontation, which has since gone viral on social media and triggered official investigations, unfolded on the quiet streets outside Table to Stix, in downtown Evanston. The ramen shop is well reviewed and known for its steamy bowls and casual vibe. But on Saturday afternoon, the store's frontage became the backdrop for an ugly outburst in which the owner, Kenny Chou, lost control. The video saw Chou follow a customer into the street then berate the man who paid for his $19.89 meal with a $20 bill - but left no additional tip. 'I paid for my food. I handed you $20. You cannot charge more than what them and you paid so what are you talking about,' the customer shot back during the heated exchange. As the minutes ticked by, tensions only increased as Chou intimidatingly closely followed the man. 'What are you going to do?' the man asked Chou repeatedly, warning that the video would 'blow up on social media.' 'What do you want? I paid for my food!' the man tells Chou who continues to trail him. 'Get the f*** back! Call 911 if you need to settle something,' he urges. 'I paid for my food. I paid you $20. I am not legally required to give you a tip. Get back bro,' the man warned. Chou lost his cool. 'Shut your goddam f****** mouth. How are my staff supposed to make money? I'll slap the s*** out of you,' he threatened. Throughout, the customer seemed to show remarkable restraint as he urged Chou to step back and chill out. 'What are you doing? Bro, what are you on? Get back!' Watching the footage later, Chou said he felt a wave of humiliation and guilt crash over him. 'Bringing shame to my wife as a husband, as an owner. At the same time to my mom and dad,' Chou said. The backlash was swift and brutal with accusations of racial discrimination as the customer involved is black. Messages scrawled in chalk soon appeared outside Table to Stix: 'Anti-Black, Do Not Eat Here.' Review site Yelp was also forced to slap an 'unusual activity alert' on the restaurant's page, freezing reviews as anger mounted. Phone lines were unplugged and social media accounts were deactivated. When asked later why he didn't tip, the customer made no apologies stating online, 'Oh, I just didn't want to.' Chou is now desperate to make amends and says he sent the customer's brother home with his favorite order, a handwritten apology, and a heartfelt offer: 'My door is open for you, man. You know, come on by anytime,' he said to CBS News. The incident has gone far beyond a simple spat. The Evanston Police Department confirmed a report for harassment was filed and an investigation is now underway. At a public Equity and Empowerment Commission meeting in Evanston, members debated what punishment, if any, could be levied against Chou. Meanwhile, activists and black community leaders have organized a boycott and staged a protest outside Table to Stix. They are demanding that Chou not merely apologize through media channels, but show up in person to publicly apologize to the black community. Sitting quietly inside his battered business as the dinner rush began Thursday evening, Chou reflected on the chaos his actions had unleashed. A Korean immigrant who came to America at the age of 5, Chou said he never imagined that his pursuit of the American dream would end in public disgrace. For ten years, he and his wife had worked to build Table to Stix into a neighborhood fixture but it now appears the future of their restaurant and their reputation hangs by a thread. One councilmember, Devon Reid, suggested one way forward might be for the city of Evanston to abolish the controversial tipped wage system altogether, proposing a service fee model to eliminate the sometimes awkward expectations around gratuities.
CBS News
24-04-2025
- CBS News
Evanston restaurant owner apologizes after video shows him confronting customer for not tipping
A confrontation over tipping lands an Evanston restaurant owner in hot water. He says he is taking full accountability, and his door is open to the other person involved. Evanston ramen restaurant owner Kenny Chou admits he had lost it when the video was taken Saturday afternoon. He says he followed a regular into the street, intending to tell him not to come back after leaving without tipping again. "You gonna tell him? I paid for my food. I handed you $20. You cannot charge more than what them and you paid so what are you talking about," the customer said in the video. Tensions, however, escalated. The men yelled at each other for several minutes as the customer left the business. Chou said he's watched the video and felt ashamed. "Bringing shame to my wife as a husband, as an owner. At the same time to my mom and dad," he said. The video ignited a debate online about tipping, leading some people to leave messages on the sidewalk calling the business Table to Stix anti-Black. The backlash has forced them to stop taking calls and deactivate their social media. Yelp has also paused any new reviews. When asked why he didn't tip, the customer said online, "Oh, I just didn't want to." Chou said the customer's brother has since come in, describing their conversation as productive. "I apologize to him and to his family, and I was just asking if he could pass this message along to his little brother," he said. He added that he sent the brother home with the customer's favorite order, a handwritten apology, and an offer. "My door is open for you, man. You know, come on by anytime," Chou said. Chou said he's particularly worried the incident could hurt other businesses around him, hearing of protests planned for outside his shop Saturday.
