So what happened to the tipping percentage in the areas that raised the minimum wage much higher than the federal wage? I recall hearing of some areas a year ago or so with $15/hr wages? Has this had any effect?
I remember a cartoon in MAD Magazine back around 1970 where someone was complaining that the standard tip had gone up from 10% to 15%, so apparently a 10% tip was “a thing” at one point.
My best guess as to why it went up: at some point, Congress changed how employees who receive tips are taxed on them (I think that, instead of “the honor system,” the IRS assumed that everybody tipped a certain percentage), so tips went up in order for the employees not to lose money on the deal. I think the “mandatory tip” for large parties has gone up from 15% to 18% as well.