Can we talk about Izakaya Sasaya and mandatory tipping before being served?
Can we talk about Izakaya Sasaya and mandatory tipping before being served?
by behemuthm
33 Comments
behemuthm
I’m trying to find a new Izakaya on the westside to check out and stumbled across this place.
The issue is that you order from your phone or their kiosk and have to tip or you’ll get bad service.
I noticed I had to tip at Destroyer before being served and feel the same way – I want to tip based on the service received, not ahead of time. And with this place especially, the server seems like she’ll give you bad service unless you tip well beforehand.
This seems backwards to me.
Has anyone been there?
WhatIfWeAreClouds
Yeah, that’s gonna be a no for me.
jbadaro
Lol to this place. They are 3.5 stars and fighting folks. They gonna be out of a job soon 😂🤣
MouthfeelEnthusiast
$1 per drink is normal. Especially for something like an $8 drink.
LoBears
I used to go to this spot when I lived in the area some 10+ years ago. Used to be the jam. I still work in the area and last went 3-4 yrs ago (pre-covid) and the place had gone downhill. Crazy to think it could have gotten any worse than that.
Just go down the street to furaibo I guess?
GyrosOnMyMind
In my younger days I bartended and served tables. I loved it. I loved being the one to always close and take a bigger section for more tips. I have defended the US tipping culture for years. But this shit is out of hand and has to change. The pandemic has really brought to light how fucked up the system is both for employees and consumers. No longer is tipping about receiving good service, now everyone can see that it is a perverted mechanism to hide the fact that employers don’t pay a living wage. Plus, the entitlement from employees is super fucking awkward to deal with.
Imagine how servers outside of CA manage with the insanely low hourly wage.
Tipping for every food service in the US has to stop. If an employer can’t keep their business afloat by offering a real wage, they need to raise their prices or rethink their business model. The US tipping system is rooted in the days of slavery, but that’s a whole other conversation.
Sorry. I’m getting old and just wish eating out had an upfront price and employees didn’t have to rely on the generosity of strangers. Just charge more. It’s 2023 for fucks sake.
sowhat59
Should we start the countdown to see how many days can this place last?
Kuado
Consumers are being forced to pay employee salaries via tip. How convenient for the employers.
DownvoteSpiral
Custom tips are bad? On takeout, I select custom tip and do 10% instead of the 3 options shown. On dine-in, I’ll do 20%. I think that’s fair.
tracyinge
Why would they assume you’re not going to leave a tip just because you don’t leave an online tip when ordering? Can’t you just leave cash at the table when you leave….and after you know if the server deserves 15, 20 or 25% for the service?
LangeSohne
That’s a shame. I used to go to Sasaya a lot back in the day, like over 5 years ago. It was one of the few authentic izakayas on the westside, reasonably priced and good selection. Maybe they’ve changed ownership. They didn’t have tablets or pre-tipping back then.
Not sure how Furaibo is these days, but that was a pretty solid spot too.
Nothing beats Takuya in Pasadena though for authentic, no-frills izakaya.
GamerExecChef
All that response says to me is “Hey! As the person who signs the pay check of your waitress, you are a horrible person for not paying her enough to do her job.”
slothenhosen
Or you know pay your employees a living wage. I am a good tipper becos i was a waitress but tipping for no service is ridiculous.
alittlegnat
This restaurants not even good anymore . I feel like they were pre COVID and I would go there often but the last time I went there, things were underwhelming so I haven’t returned since
LeGJOaT69966996
Alot of entitlement with servers. Your job requires no skills, you take an order bring a plate and refill drinks. This owner is out of control aswell
Eugene-Pontecorvo
The quality of service, quality of food, and quality of atmosphere in so many places has straight up nose dived since Covid and the expectation tipping has quadrupled. It’s wild.
These places will get weeded out for sure because there are places excited to bring the dining atmosphere back post Covid.
ctfeliz203
I go to this place a lot.. the place is not unsanitary, and it’s understandably provoking to the owner to suggest as much. It’s one thing to ding service, it’s another to attempt to suggest a restaurant is “dirty”
NewspaperEvery
Wtf? 🫤
whatsaphillie
How can any business owner think that reply is remotely okay. You’re basically saying “Oh we acknowledge we were rude to you, because you didn’t leave a pre-meal tip”.
Sure makes me want to eat there.
Brik38
Get rid of tips period. I love how every damn place now also asks for a tip when you’re ordering for pickup
mildiii
i actually really like Sasaya, but their prepandemic restaurant experience is completely different from what it is now.
3BeeZee
So they wanted a great tip before doing anything?? A pre-tip so the customer got great service? That’s ridiculous. Where exactly is this place so I know to ignore it.
Who the fuck tips on take out? Tips literally reward service that you don’t get if you order takeout.
moonhattan
Please boycott this place cuz wtf
raydiculous33
I hate what our tipping culture has become. I much prefer the European model where customers pay what the actual costs are and the service staff are compensated a decent wage.
The server rings the order in for about 2.5 seconds. No service needed. The kitchen prepares the food. Why would the server get tipped? If you need money not to be rude to someone, you are a part of the problem.
emmsparkles
I’m sorry but as a former server in LA, I agree with the business 100%!! If you order panda express online and come in store to pick it up and stay and eat it, go ahead and get your own water and silverware and throw away your own stuff after! You didn’t pay them for anything but the correct food in a container and a clean place to sit. They are paid to make sure the restaurant is running, everything is stocked, the food comes out to you. Why should waiters have to be nice to you for NO tip…?! Why? And if you’re going to say other places don’t get tips, yeah and they literally can’t afford to live either. The people at sweetgreen shouldn’t have to smile and bend over backwards for you. They’re not paid a livable wage! The people at Nordstrom shouldn’t be worried about being your personal shopper, they’re not paid a livable wage! People who work in restaurants can either barely afford to eat the food they sell or straight out cannot. I’m sooo over people being over tipping culture. When a screen is turned to me at a coffee shop, EVERY time I give a tip. Because it’s helping your fellow human who is making your day better by giving you an experience and a basic service. If you want anything above bare minimum service, how about give that person a reason to smile.. not having to be anxious all day wondering if they’re going to make enough in tips to even take home any extra after tip oit. People dont realize how exhausting and draining service jobs are. You don’t tip? Go to the grocery store, buy the ingredients and make your own food.
GoingforIvey
*Laughs in not-American.*
laggedreaction
Anytime you pay extra before receiving service it should be called a “bid”, not “tip”.
33 Comments
I’m trying to find a new Izakaya on the westside to check out and stumbled across this place.
The issue is that you order from your phone or their kiosk and have to tip or you’ll get bad service.
I noticed I had to tip at Destroyer before being served and feel the same way – I want to tip based on the service received, not ahead of time. And with this place especially, the server seems like she’ll give you bad service unless you tip well beforehand.
This seems backwards to me.
Has anyone been there?
Yeah, that’s gonna be a no for me.
Lol to this place. They are 3.5 stars and fighting folks. They gonna be out of a job soon 😂🤣
$1 per drink is normal. Especially for something like an $8 drink.
I used to go to this spot when I lived in the area some 10+ years ago. Used to be the jam. I still work in the area and last went 3-4 yrs ago (pre-covid) and the place had gone downhill. Crazy to think it could have gotten any worse than that.
Just go down the street to furaibo I guess?
In my younger days I bartended and served tables. I loved it. I loved being the one to always close and take a bigger section for more tips. I have defended the US tipping culture for years. But this shit is out of hand and has to change. The pandemic has really brought to light how fucked up the system is both for employees and consumers. No longer is tipping about receiving good service, now everyone can see that it is a perverted mechanism to hide the fact that employers don’t pay a living wage. Plus, the entitlement from employees is super fucking awkward to deal with.
Imagine how servers outside of CA manage with the insanely low hourly wage.
Tipping for every food service in the US has to stop. If an employer can’t keep their business afloat by offering a real wage, they need to raise their prices or rethink their business model. The US tipping system is rooted in the days of slavery, but that’s a whole other conversation.
Sorry. I’m getting old and just wish eating out had an upfront price and employees didn’t have to rely on the generosity of strangers. Just charge more. It’s 2023 for fucks sake.
Should we start the countdown to see how many days can this place last?
Consumers are being forced to pay employee salaries via tip. How convenient for the employers.
Custom tips are bad? On takeout, I select custom tip and do 10% instead of the 3 options shown. On dine-in, I’ll do 20%. I think that’s fair.
Why would they assume you’re not going to leave a tip just because you don’t leave an online tip when ordering? Can’t you just leave cash at the table when you leave….and after you know if the server deserves 15, 20 or 25% for the service?
That’s a shame. I used to go to Sasaya a lot back
in the day, like over 5 years ago. It was one of the few authentic izakayas on the westside, reasonably priced and good selection. Maybe they’ve changed ownership. They didn’t have tablets or pre-tipping back then.
Not sure how Furaibo is these days, but that was a pretty solid spot too.
Nothing beats Takuya in Pasadena though for authentic, no-frills izakaya.
All that response says to me is “Hey! As the person who signs the pay check of your waitress, you are a horrible person for not paying her enough to do her job.”
Or you know pay your employees a living wage. I am a good tipper becos i was a waitress but tipping for no service is ridiculous.
This restaurants not even good anymore . I feel like they were pre COVID and I would go there often but the last time I went there, things were underwhelming so I haven’t returned since
Alot of entitlement with servers. Your job requires no skills, you take an order bring a plate and refill drinks. This owner is out of control aswell
The quality of service, quality of food, and quality of atmosphere in so many places has straight up nose dived since Covid and the expectation tipping has quadrupled. It’s wild.
These places will get weeded out for sure because there are places excited to bring the dining atmosphere back post Covid.
I go to this place a lot.. the place is not unsanitary, and it’s understandably provoking to the owner to suggest as much. It’s one thing to ding service, it’s another to attempt to suggest a restaurant is “dirty”
Wtf? 🫤
How can any business owner think that reply is remotely okay. You’re basically saying “Oh we acknowledge we were rude to you, because you didn’t leave a pre-meal tip”.
Sure makes me want to eat there.
Get rid of tips period. I love how every damn place now also asks for a tip when you’re ordering for pickup
i actually really like Sasaya, but their prepandemic restaurant experience is completely different from what it is now.
So they wanted a great tip before doing anything?? A pre-tip so the customer got great service? That’s ridiculous. Where exactly is this place so I know to ignore it.
https://yelp.to/10nDUMnGGxb
Yelp for this place
OP reported for having a dirty nasty soul
Who the fuck tips on take out? Tips literally reward service that you don’t get if you order takeout.
Please boycott this place cuz wtf
I hate what our tipping culture has become. I much prefer the European model where customers pay what the actual costs are and the service staff are compensated a decent wage.
Apparently servers here in the US prefer our tipping culture rather than a higher wage [according to this report](https://www.lightspeedhq.com/blog/impact-minimum-wage-increase/).
Whoa that’s a no to ever going there
She’s a food runner not a waitress.
The server rings the order in for about 2.5 seconds. No service needed. The kitchen prepares the food. Why would the server get tipped? If you need money not to be rude to someone, you are a part of the problem.
I’m sorry but as a former server in LA, I agree with the business 100%!! If you order panda express online and come in store to pick it up and stay and eat it, go ahead and get your own water and silverware and throw away your own stuff after! You didn’t pay them for anything but the correct food in a container and a clean place to sit. They are paid to make sure the restaurant is running, everything is stocked, the food comes out to you. Why should waiters have to be nice to you for NO tip…?! Why? And if you’re going to say other places don’t get tips, yeah and they literally can’t afford to live either. The people at sweetgreen shouldn’t have to smile and bend over backwards for you. They’re not paid a livable wage! The people at Nordstrom shouldn’t be worried about being your personal shopper, they’re not paid a livable wage! People who work in restaurants can either barely afford to eat the food they sell or straight out cannot. I’m sooo over people being over tipping culture. When a screen is turned to me at a coffee shop, EVERY time I give a tip. Because it’s helping your fellow human who is making your day better by giving you an experience and a basic service. If you want anything above bare minimum service, how about give that person a reason to smile.. not having to be anxious all day wondering if they’re going to make enough in tips to even take home any extra after tip oit. People dont realize how exhausting and draining service jobs are. You don’t tip? Go to the grocery store, buy the ingredients and make your own food.
*Laughs in not-American.*
Anytime you pay extra before receiving service it should be called a “bid”, not “tip”.