Restaurant owners in U.S. cities hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026—expected to be the most expensive in history—are adding mandatory tips to checks to account for international visitors unfamiliar with America’s tipping culture.
Why Mandatory Tips Are Being Introduced
Tipping is deeply embedded in the compensation of U.S. restaurant workers. Most servers and bartenders earn less than the minimum wage and rely on tips to make up the difference. With millions of international visitors expected for the tournament, some restaurants in host cities plan to incorporate the tip into the overall meal cost to ensure staff are fairly compensated.
This move comes as soccer fans already face sky-high costs for flights, hotels, tickets, and transportation. In Atlanta, T's Brunch Bar will increase its existing automatic 18 percent gratuity to 20 percent.
“Different people's cultures, it’s not nothing bad, they just don't tip,” said Teneshia Murray Butler, owner of T's Brunch Bar, to Fox 5 Atlanta. “They're not used to it in other countries. And so they just don't like the tip.”
Actions in Other Host Cities
Similar measures are being taken in Boston and Kansas City. In Boston, some businesses have proposed a mandatory 20 percent tip added to customers' final bills. Steve DiFillippo, owner of Davio's and a board member of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, told NBC 10 Boston that restaurants will notify customers via menu messages.
“Our servers and bartenders are the lifeblood of our industry. We would never want them to get hurt,” he said.
However, George Pantos, owner of Jimmy's Pub & Restaurant in Mansfield, disagreed with mandatory charges. He told NBC 10 he prefers posting signs reminding visitors to tip and trusting they will tip voluntarily.
“If we're as busy as we speculate, it won't be a problem,” he said.
In Kansas City, the Missouri Restaurant Association is advising restaurants to add mandatory tips during the six-week tournament. Executive Director Mike Burris told the Kansas City Beacon: “If I was a server, I wouldn't be too happy if I took care of somebody for 90 minutes, and they didn't tip just because they didn't know any better.”
Potential Backlash from Locals
The mandatory tip policies are expected to be temporary but will be implemented when Americans are already financially strained. David Henkes, senior principal at food research firm Technomic, told Fox News Digital that mandatory tipping could upset local customers.
“Restaurant traffic has been declining, and anything that is perceived to increase the cost does risk some consumer backlash,” he said. “Particularly if it's not well-publicized or if consumers feel there's an expectation to tip on top of the automatic tip.”
