Should Tipping Be Mandatory?
Akos Szabo
Chef de Cuisine
Top of the Rock Restaurant at the Buttes Resort
NO: Great service deserves a great tip. We sometimes fail to realize that a tip can swing either way depending on the whole experience. We have become an industry that expects to be tipped for mediocre service. Many times, I have witnessed a server open up the check to see what was left for them and treat it like an expected commission on a sale of a house. Plain and simple: Do your best and you will be rewarded.
Julie Kossak 
Owner, The Pink Spot, Z Pizza
NO: Tipping should not be mandatory. Tipping is a reward for staff that goes above and beyond the normal course.
Domenick Montanile
Owner, Venezia's Pizzeria
YES: Tipping should be mandatory at 10 percent and have an option for 15 percent to 20 percent if you wish. The food-industry pay scale is mainly based on tips from customers, and some people unfortunately are unaware of this, especially when it comes to the delivery drivers.
Dana Mule
GM and partner, Hula's Modern Tiki
YES: Since tipped staff are not paid minimum wage, there is an obligation to tip something, even for a modicum level of service. Any remaining money beyond that is a reward for service that is above and beyond the basic requirement. The vast majority of restaurant patron's tips are fair and reasonable. It's only the small minority who might require a little education about tipping -- or perhaps a little help with their math.
Aaron May
Chef and restaurateur
YES: Except in cases of extreme neglect, some sort of gratuity should be proffered.
What say you, Valley servers and diners? Do you think tipping should be mandatory? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
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