Restaurant Keeps Servers Tips - Arbol Cafe, Philly

from the Philadelphia Citypaper

http://www.citypaper.net/food/restaurants/id/3080/Arbol+Cafe

**Read the comments section below the review**

A commenter posts the tip accusation, then the restaurant responds and admits that the tips are going toward renovations.

I believe it.. My local restaurant (Forest Hills Inn) takes the credit card charges out of the waitress's pay (like they have any control on how the customer will pay).

thanks for the link, great story. what a bunch of losers..lol who would dare keep employee tips?? illegal, and morally wrong.

Wow, that's just soooo wrong. I can't believe they actually had the nerve to respond. They really shouldn't have, because they angered more people with their response than did any sort of "Damage Control".

Last night, the Philadelphia Citypaper food editor posted an entry to their website that the paper is preparing two articles on this issue:
http://www.citypaper.net/blogs/clog/2008/04/17/the-arbol-cafe-question-dont-think-we-havent-noticed

As editor Drew Lazor states, "But quite simply, this discussion suffers from a dangerous lack of straight-up factual information — and that is what will help all of us form a mature opinion of the issue at hand."

The two additional articles have been published. Here are the links to them:
http://www.citypaper.net/blogs/clog/2008/04/18/the-arbol-cafe-question-owner-beth-acuna-says-her-piece/
http://www.citypaper.net/blogs/clog/2008/04/18/the-arbol-cafe-question-the-legal-eagle-chimes-in/

Any scumbag that steals tips from a server is really shameful.

Thanks for pointing out these places. I'll never eat there.