Commissioner Diaz supports tipping for airport restaurant servers and wait staff

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY – Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz is sponsoring an ordinance to allow restaurant operators at Miami International Airport to include a suggested tip on customers’ checks.

The ordinance will be considered for initial approval at the April 9 Commission meeting, which begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Commission Chamber at the Stephen P. Clark Center, 111 NW 1st St.

The legislation would allow a suggested tip of up to 18 percent, as long as clear notice is provided on the check or point-of-sale device explaining that the tip is suggested and can be removed or changed at the customer’s discretion.

The County Code currently does not allow MIA restaurant operators to include suggested tips or automatic gratuities on their customers’ checks, which led to a threatened but recently canceled crackdown by the County’s Aviation Department on restaurants that were violating the policy.

Florida’s minimum wage is $8.46, but employers can pay tipped employees as little as $5.44 per hour.

Commissioner Diaz said preserving the ability to solicit tips at MIA is necessary to protect restaurant workers, especially since many foreign travelers to the airport come from cultures where tipping may not be common.