Let's remember that a movement was fostered thanks to what happened in the hospitality industry.   Back in 1960, four young black men, who became known as "The Greensboro Four" had the courage to sit at a "Whites Only" lunch counter at a Woolworths in Greensboro, North Carolina. Woolworths refused to serve them so by the third day, hundreds showed up. Then it turned into thousands. Then it turned into a movement. A catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement which swept the United States.   Sound familiar?   While realization came that segregation was wrong, as soon as it hurt the economics of a business, things changed. Because it always starts in restaurants and retail since that's the common denominator among races and classes. It doesn't matter where you live or what you wear, but essentially everyone can afford a double macchiato at Starbucks.   On this episode of "Tip Not Included", Host Eric Levine is back to address the social unrest taking place today and questions "Where's The Beef"? while asking "What's Your Beef"?    Well, the beef has been growing for years, with windows, souls and backs being broken in the process. The beef is being shouted loud and clear across the country on racial inequality and racial injustice. Especially in the restaurant industry where its workers (along with convicts) make 30% below minimum wage.    Hey, it's not called "slave wages" for nothing.   So in this time where our society is being unmasked while we're being asked to don one, it's worthwhile asking how stunned you are -- without a stun gun -- that people are taking to the streets to voice their beef. Blacks, Whites, Asian, Latinos. Even vegans.   Contact Eric at: erictipnotincluded@gmail.com

Tip Not Included

0045: "Where's the Beef"?

Guess what's the only industry in the world - besides the restaurant industry - where people make below the minimum wage? The incarcerated! We're talking prisoners here who have steady work and no nasty customers sending back their orders.   Then why the restaurant industry? Where 40% of the employees are single Moms & Dads! There's no 401K in the restaurant industry. No IRA. Do you even know what they are? Had you had them, your money could have been invested in the market and have been given returns. You could have made a few extra thousand bucks. Legally. For doing nothing but just investing.    Take our advice and go into a brokerage house or your local bank and open up a Roth IRA which will give you tax free deductions and growth. Especially if you have young kids. You'll start saving and earning and come out with a wad of money at the end of the decade. Point is, you have to start planning ahead!  Remember that money equals freedom. Try liquidating that shoe collection. You don't have to buy Bobbie Brown. That Maybelline lipstick is good enough. You're going to kiss it goodbye anyway. Invest that money so you can dance on the street and not on a pole.   You'll feel better about controlling your destiny when you start controlling your money.   And while we're on the subject of destiny, take a lesson from those that wrote their own, by making comebacks. Henry Ford's first company went bankrupt and his second ended in disaster. Disney's first company went bankrupt too and faced some lean years before his eventual success. Sly Stallone was once homeless living on the floor at the Port Authority bus terminal and even sold his dog for a little cash to survive! And what about Oprah who was told she was unfit for television news?   They all have comeback stories. What's yours?   Contact Eric at: erictipnotincluded@gmail.com  

0044: Invest Your Dollars: You'll Be Dancing On The Street, Not On A Pole!

The 25 wealthiest families control $1.4 trillion. And count 10 seconds and Sam Walton just made $23,000! So who's really self made? Think about it. Some are given a pittance of yeast to make a loaf of bread, but are clever enough to make enough bread for a carb-fest to feed the entire population of Palm Beach, Florida (hey, weather's crappy in NYC now so our mind wanders south). Then, some are given a lot of yeast and can't even find their way into the kitchen. And how about those given neither yeast nor a rolling pin?   It's that last group that especially needs to be mindful of when to ask for a raise in their minimum wage jobs. Problem is, there's never really a good time. Sad part is that many middle managers are known to have gone up to 7 years without a raise. What does that do to someone's psyche? And what do they tell their families?   Times like that where one has to re-evaluate and perhaps switch gears. That's what Jahred Haynes did.    A career restaurateur, Jahred was a lifelong baseball player ever since he was a kid growing up in the Bronx. His wife tired of him screaming at the TV during games so she signed him up for umpire school in Florida. Armed with courage, confidence (and his cup!), he left his job supervising some 70 employees in a food chain outlet to pursue his dream.   On this episode of Tip Not Included, Host Eric Levine welcomes Jahred to the program to chat about his journey to his field of dreams, and more.   Contract Eric at: erictipnotincluded@gmail.com

0043: Courage, Confidence & A Cup: All You Need to Quit Your Job and Go to Ump School

So Starbucks is expanding its empire to place more of its trendy coffee shops in underserved (euphemism for "poor") neighborhoods under the ruse of creating more jobs. They plan to open or remodel 85 stores by 2025 in rural and urban communities, each complete with common event space.  Community groups will even get in the game to conduct training programs for employees, too.    As the SNL "Church Lady" would say "Now isn't that special"?!   The execs may say they're building their temples of overpriced joe for altruistic reasons. But wait. It's as if they're wanting to move one "people" off one addiction and on to another -- crack to caffeine. And how are the folk to get the money to pay for a double mocha frappuccino?    Nobody seems to be asking that question plus others like whether poor folks need a $5 cup of coffee to begin with. And what's going to happen to the local bodegas and coffee shops and diners -- traditional neighborhood gathering points being gentrified in the name of profits and masked under the umbrella of "doing good".    Don't let them fool you. Green is the color of the day here. Of Starbucks aprons, un-roasted beans, of envy and of course, money!   And speaking of green, say you save $20 a day over 40 years at 10% return on the market -- you've now saved $3,758,000. That's a lot of coffee pissed away in unkept Starbucks toilets.   Listen to Host Eric Levine opine on this Starbucks travesty plus hair-based discrimination and more.   Reach Eric at: eric@tipnotincluded.com

0042: Starbucks New Biz Model - Trading in Your Crack for Caffeine

The bathroom attendant at the strip club makes $15 an hour wiping jizz off your pants but the guy serving chicken nuggets to your kids gets less than minimum wage.   Gee whiz. Or maybe, jizz whiz!   And those seated nail salon ladies make minimum cleaning the shmutz underneath well heeled clientele's toe nails but the kid busting his ass serving drunk frat boys at at Friday's doesn't. What gives?   Despite the unfairness, servers have dreams. And dreams do come true. Like those of Omar the Comedian, who joins Host Eric Levine on this episode of Tip Not Included.   Omar Thompson aka Omar the Comedian, and long-time Levine friend, saw comedy as a "high" from an early age. He's been at it for 16 years with some exciting projects in the works.   Yes he has talent, but he also has a bad-ass wife who supports his habit. She's a teacher, mother to their young daughter - and one on the way, and keeps the house working. A house with 6 bedrooms and an in-ground heated pool. Not bad for someone who grew up in the projects.   As a former server, Omar knows the importance of tipping. He also knows that treating the wait staff well will get nice things said about you to patrons and gig bookers.   Hear the conversation between Omar & Eric. You may be inspired yourself to get out of the restaurant biz and get behind the mic.   Contact Eric at: eric@tipnotincluded.com

0041: If Omar the Comedian Can Do It - So Can You!

Not only eating at McDonald's will kill you. So will working there. Hear about the two Peruvians electrocuted at their branch?   The golden arches has had its fair share of troubles over the years. Think Clinton who got too happy with an intern way back when and happy meals no longer held the same luster. Or when the company's CEO was axed for sticking his french fry into an employee's Egg McMuffin. No reports of course, whether it was first dipped in ketchup.   If an Assistant Manager did the same, you think he'd get off with the same severance? No chance. So, quit you say. It's just a stepping stone anyway which isn't a real job. But where's he to go? It has nothing to do with race or age. It's that we're all just playing under different rules.   And speaking of playing, over at Uber, they recently released a study indicating over 30,000 ride sharing customers were touched, fondled or sexually harassed. Does this mean you can now order condoms on UberEats? You just wanted to go to your job interview and the driver wanted to take you to third base.   On this, the milestone 40th episode of Tip Not Included, Host Eric Levine dives into the insanity in the workplace and reminds us that the richest poorest people around still have hopes and dreams. Hopefully, in the new year, they'll achieve them.   Contact Eric at: eric@tipnotincluded.com 

Sticking That Fry Into An Employee's Egg McMuffin Will Get You Fired

 When you think about it, it's pretty scary! One out of 5 baby boomers can't retire. That means 20% of our population will have to work every single day until they pass away just to make enough money to pay their cable and put food in the fridge. Surely folks couldn't have envisioned spending their golden years working for minimum at WalMart -- hobbling over with their walker to aisle 13 for clean up.   On this episode of Tip Not Included, Host Eric Levine welcomes back Diversity & Inclusion Specialist Vinay Singh to give us a candid view of the present and future job market. The author of "Your Future in Pieces - The Brutal Truth: How Ageism and Income Inequality Are Destroying America" and the purveyor of risingmiddleclass.com, you may remember Vinay as the featured guest in episode 34.   With over 21 years in talent acquisition, Vinay knows a thing or two about the world of hiring (and firing).   As he points out, the vast majority of Americans having little to no savings, thus putting the American Dream on life support.    But all may not be hopeless.    Vinay recommends re-skilling and continuous education (or "re-education" as he likes to say which sounds like something you'd find in the gulag) since everything one learns today will be obsolete tomorrow.    Plus, Vinay wants us to re-think working in the gig economy which is just another word for a "freelancer" or "consultant". With no benefits, no sick leave and no prospects for career advancement, is that model really viable? You decide.   He also wants governments to consider setting CEO wages. Since worker salaries haven't moved up - if you factor in inflation and the rising cost of living, let's just say you're screwed.   Write to Eric at: eric@tipnotincluded.com   

0039: Want To Own Nike Sneakers Or Nike Stock? The Difference Can Change Your Life!

If you've worked in the restaurant industry, you're no doubt able to complete the sentence: "You certainly know when it's time to replace a manager, when..."   In fact, you probably have multiple ways of finishing it off. As many ways as the reasons why managers have been finished off!    Let's see, how about you usually know when it's time to replace a manager when he's hiding from customers and staff in the office, watching porn or buying lawn furniture on Amazon. Or, when he's hitting on the cute new waitress (and in some cases, waiter). Or not lifting a finger when everyone else is busting their asses.   But hey, managers don't have it so easy though. They're underpaid and overworked. And working while everyone else is celebrating. They don't have Bernie and AOC shouting for their rights. Servers get tips and overtime. All a manager gets is pissed off. So, they succumb to their small penis syndrome.   On this episode of Tip Not Included, Host Eric Levine maneuvers through the brain of the restaurant manager and uncovers what he goes through, and its impact on employees. Since psychopaths make up 15% of bosses, and it has been documented that the effects of having a bad boss are akin to having PTSD, let's just say it ain't a pretty scene.   Contact Eric at: eric@tipnotincluded.com

0038: Do All Managers Have Small Penis Syndrome?

Oh gross! You found a long orange hair snaking its way through your split pea soup. That can only mean one thing...That Donald Trump is your server!   But think about it? What could he say that could possibly make you lose your appetite? Picture this, you're sitting at a pricey French restaurant and he offers to decant your French wine with a little French tongue. What's wrong with that? He knows the French. He eats their fries all the time.   Or you're in a Rosita Mexicana. El Presidente walks up to the table and instead of carding you, asks to see your papers. That's legal, isn't it?   You can't escape the guy. He's at your favorite Chinese joint, pouring the tea and slapping tariffs on your bill. He's allowed. He has Rudy G backing him up.   Yes, that's Donald Trump the server. By all accounts, the greatest server who ever lived. Who has the biggest customer base since restaurants were invented.    So if Donald Trump was really your server, what would happen? Well, in the end, he'd be fired.   Contact Host Eric Levine at: eric@tipnotincluded.com

0037: Imagine If Donald Trump Was Your Server?

You may know (or even be) a 21 year-old working in the restaurant industry -- fast food or otherwise. One day their job will be replaced by a robot. A machine with no feelings, no sick days and no lame excuses why they were late for their shift.   The only thing in common these kids have with these pieces of metal is lube. Robots need lube to function and these kids are getting it up the ass -- screwed over (but at least with lube) by their employers who cut their weekly hours so they don't have to pay health insurance and other benefits for them.   Is that fair? Hell no. But what choice do these kids have? Without any skills (except for working a cash register), where are they going to get new jobs? Or jobs periods when robots take over.   For the moment, if you're young and have a steady restaurant job, about the best thing you can do is, well, hide the lube.   On this episode of Tip Not Included, Host Eric Levine broaches the topic plus shares news of the day.   Eric would love to hear from you. Email him at: eric@tipnotincluded.com  

0036: White Man Can't Jump, But Watch That Crossover It's Deadly!

 We're not trying to tantalize you with our headline or to shock you with a provocative thought. We're merely stating a fact. A fact with which you can't disagree.   When you think about it, sex is what's selling menu items at restaurants across America since 70% of servers in the US are women and the lion's share of those buying meals and tipping are men. And many a woman server knows what sells and uses her charms to her advantage.   So who is responsible for this episode's headline (and truism)? None other than Rachel Siggers, a young woman who started her restaurant career at age 17, who has seen the seedy side of the industry, and spills the beans on what happens between server and customer on this latest edition of Tip Not Included with Host, Eric Levine.   It was the over sexualized environment of the restaurant industry, in fact, that lead Rachel to leave it. While she wore a mask when she waited tables and saw the money flow in, she eventually recognized that the biz didn't energetically jive with other elements in her life. For Rachel, the restaurant world was a step, something you do in the meantime, or as she says "the in between time" to get to where you need to be.   While Rachel got out, many women who stay are victims of sexual harassment from their co-workers or management, with the staggering statistic of 1/3 of restaurant workers saying they don't report such harassment  out of fear of losing an income-making shift or of retaliation. Eric shares some heartbreaking letters from those who have suffered in silence.   The take away: If you see something, experience something...Say something! Don't know what to ask or whom to turn to, then ask Miss Google.   Contact Eric at: eric@tipnotincluded.com

0035: "Sex Sells...It's Been Selling Since Before Jesus."

It's a sad but true fact that you may just find yourself at the diaper station at a fast food joint, changing your own diapers in between working the fries station.   At a break-neck pace, Americans are working well into their golden years at menial jobs just to put junk food on the table.   Do you think you can reverse your fortune?    Like that diaper station. Depends.   Will you start educating yourself on stocks and 401K plans? Will you start saving now instead of blowing your paycheck on yeezys at the Fly Club?   On this episode of Tip Not Included, Host Eric Levine is joined in the studio by Vinay Singh, a Diversity & Inclusion Specialist and Author. His book, "Your Future in Pieces - The Brutal Truth: How Ageism And Income Inequality Are Destroying America" is essential reading for understanding the sad truth what ordinary folks are financially facing.   Listen to the episode and understand what you can do now to avoid worrying later where to store your walker in the break room at Wendy's.   Email Eric at: eric@tipnotincluded.com.

0034: Spending Your Golden Years Working At The Golden Arches

Back in the day, fine dining establishments had dress codes to keep a sense of decorum. You know, men and boys were required to wear jackets and ties. They would even have spare ones available for those who didn't know the drill. Go to certain town clubs today in New York City and some still do.   But what about a dress code that oh so subtly calls for profiling based on what is commonly worn by one particular ethnic group?    Yes, there's the "No Shirt No Shoes No Service" trifecta. But what about a place like Bottled Blonde in Chicago's River North area that has a lengthy dress code which includes no denim and no Jordan's (in a city synonymous with the basketball legend), no flannel and no un-zippered shirts? The list goes on -- No v-neck shirts.  No cargo pants. No saggy pants. No acid wash jeans (do people still wear them?). No visible tattoos on neck, face or hands - that'll keep the prison crowd out.   Who's left? Just a bunch of Notre Dame pre-meds, we suppose. And that's just the way a place like Bottled Blonde likes it.   And it's not just in the Windy City. A bar in New Jersey bans oversized chains which we suspect is meant to keep out the descendants of all those who were once held in chains.    But back to the Second City where race relations are already overheated, there's another place going after camouflage and asking patrons' shorts be at least one inch past the knee. So now we have to start carrying a tape measure every time we go out?    On this episode of Tip Not Included, Host Eric Levine undresses how bars and restaurants use dress codes to exclude segments of the public from entering. Sure they're private establishments. But is it right? It is allowed? Is it legal, Judge Judy?   Write to Eric at: eric@tipnotincluded.com  

0033: You're Keeping Me In Chains By Not Letting Me Wear My Chains!

Oh, so you wear maxi pads you say?   Never mind, the Tampon Police don't discriminate. Girlfriend, they're out for blood. Your blood.   And believe it or not, this rubber-gloved mob are the same ones hiring you for your waitressing and sales associate gigs. They know your menstrual cycle. They may even know when you're pregnant before you do. Or at least, they'll know you're pregnant the moment you walk in the door when you're not yet showing.   Surveillance is everywhere. Apps and algorithms are everywhere. This means future and current employers can track your every move. And they do. On the job, hotels for example, track housekeepers through apps to control work flow which lets them know which rooms they've cleaned and how fast they've cleaned them. Too much time may mean nosing in guest luggage. Off the job, they know where you eat and where you hang out. Why would they want you on their health plan if you're always eating at McDonald's and spending too much time in a seedy part of town enjoying some risky behavior?    Oh, they know.   On this episode of Tip Not Included, Host Eric Levine explores the scary ways employers can keep track of employees (on and off the job) and the consequences it has for workers who are being coded into a corner.   Plus, Eric shares 10 fascinating facts about American workers today. Know who can't afford to retire? Eric shares that and more.    Email Eric at: eric@tipnotincluded.com

0032: The Tampon Police Are Out For Blood

 Have you noticed what a divided country we live in? Black and white. Rich and poor. LGBTQ and straight. Donald Trump and Elizabeth Warren (yes, if "Sleepy Joe" Biden continues to snooze, she just might be the Democratic nominee).   And then there's what we drink. Coke and Pepsi. Fanta and Sprite. And what about what we eat? Burger King and McDonald's. Fruit Loops and Cap'n Crunch.    But maybe the biggest divider we have in the USofA is something so foul that it's actually, well, fowl!. Yes, it's chicken. We're talking Chick-fil-A and Popeyes.   Think about it. It's not just about a difference in taste, texture and temperature. One is for white folks, the other for blacks. One is for condom-wearers. One is for those who pull-out. One is for a two parent home with kids eating balanced meals. One is for a one parent home (usually a single mother) where the kids eat whatever the hell they want.    About the only thing the two eateries have in common is their employees make minimum with no benefits and work their grease-smelling asses off.   On this episode of Tip Not Included, Host Eric Levine rips apart the chicken wars and shows that the fight between the two poultry giants is more than just social media, mascots and calorie counts.    Write to Eric at: eric@tipnotincluded.com.   Ya'll good? 

0031: How Chicken Are You: Do You Wear A Condom or Pull-Out?

Each week restaurant veteran Eric Levine takes an irreverent yet brutally honest look at the social, sexual, financial and political issues facing the trillion-dollar restaurant industry in the United States. Having begun his career busing tables in local delis and diners in his native Brooklyn, and working his way up to becoming Director of an NYC based restaurant company with 2000 employees, Levine is uniquely positioned to bring you the ins and outs of the industry which employs nearly 20% of the US population. Some weeks Levine serves up a no-holds-barred monologue while others he’s joined in the studio by servers, managers, and working stiffs for provocative and blunt conversation.

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Tip Not Included

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