Girard opened in November 2014 with a no-tipping policy. Staff make at least $13 an hour, plus paid sick and vacation days. To help cover the costs, Mora raised menu prices roughly 15%. "We are trying to balance being too expensive with being able to pay servers as much as possible."
Why: "Let's be nice to the people taking care of the people coming in," Mora said.
The result: When it came to hiring, Mora wasn't sure how people would react to tips not being part of compensation. "We got flooded with résumés," he said. "There is a big chunk in the industry that isn't interested, but there is a big chunk ready for stable pay."
