CEO: Why I'm not ditching tipping at Chili's

"Right now, we don't think that's where we need to go — especially on a national basis," he said. In the U.S., tipping remains ingrained in full-service dining. Americans tip 18 percent, on average, for good service, according to a 2014 poll conducted by Harris on behalf of Michelin. Still, several high-profile restaurants ranging from those in Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group to New York's Eleven Madison Park have announced they are ending tipping. And among casual dining chains, Joe's Crab Shack recently said it would test eliminating tipping at some of its locations. Fast-casual player Noodles & Co. also discourages the practice. Roberts said while ditching tips makes sense theoretically as a way of bridging the gap between wages of front-of-house staff, like waiters, and the pay of kitchen staff, it can yield unintended results in practice. "You look around the world and see other models, and usually those models aren't known for great service," Roberts said.