We believe that every labourer deserves a fair and living wage for their work.
But the tipping culture we live with is problematic.
So we’re not going to participate.
Instead, we guarantee that our staffs’ labour is fairly renumerated, and that we don’t leave it up to the patron to decide if they should get paid.
Apart from being an attractive wage for great workers, there are some other benefits too:
- Staff do not need to endure difficult patrons in hopes to earn a tip from them; instead difficult patrons can be “cut off” or even ejected from the premises without the worry of lost income, keeping guests and staff safe, especially considering alcohol sales.
- Prices are more accessible. $10 on the chalkboard includes HST and the living wage, so $10 shows up on the till too. No calculators needed to know how much to pay.
- Service motivations are changed. Staff don’t work hard to earn the tip, they work hard to earn their hourly wage. Not being motivated to get the tip means that we’re always working hard to serve well!
- Patrons enjoy participating in an ethical model. We hear it over and over again that Dreams of Beans is the cafe of choice for the simple reason that we’re doing business this way.
We’re doing our part to make sure that everyone who contributes their labour to making Dreams of Beans a great place to enjoy friends and coffee don’t have to overwork themselves just to afford the necessities of life.
As of this writing (May 2024), Dreams of Beans is currently seeking out audited certification of being a living wage employer, with hopes to demonstrate this certification soon.