Tipping Point: Is It Time to Rethink Gratuity in Restaurants? There's a growing movement to eliminate gratuities for servers. What does this mean for the restaurant world?

American diners really give it to their servers. In New York City and Los Angeles, tips at independent eateries average 22 percent of the check, a big jump from a generation ago, when 15 percent was the norm, according to restaurateurs. Waiters and bartenders often earn more than $50 an hour.

And that has to stop, say a growing number of restaurant owners. Bottom-line necessity and common sense are uniting small family-owned cafes with the country's most expensive chef-owned dining rooms in a move to abolish tipping.