About Our Service Charge

Zen Box Izakaya adds an 18% service charge to each order. Pursuant to Minn. Stat. §177.23, subd. 9, this charge is not a gratuity for employee service. 100% of the service charge is paid directly to all employees contributing to your dining experience.

Why a service charge?

We believe in fair and equitable compensation for the entire team. Adding this charge keeps our prices reasonable, and allows us to distribute the charge equally to all hourly employees on the clock as a supplement to their hourly wage.

Who gets the service charge?

100% of the service charge is directly paid to our entire staff. It is distributed evenly between the servers, cooks, food runners, hosts, and the dishwasher. Management and ownership do not collect any part of the service charge.

Is the service charge a tip?

No. A tip is the sole property of the server who collects it and management has no say in how–or even whether or not–they distribute it. This creates a disparity between the compensation for front of house service workers and the back of house kitchen workers. By calling it a service charge we can guarantee its even distribution and do our part to close the wage difference for our whole team.

Why can’t you just increase prices?

Bundling the service charge into the price would hide our intent. Since the service charge is allocated specifically and completely to labor, we want to be transparent with our guests on exactly what the charge is used for.

if there’s already a service charge, do I have to leave a tip?

You are under no obligation to leave an additional tip. Your server earns an hourly wage, as well as an even share of the service charge. Some of our guests have requested a tip line to thank their server for going above and beyond to provide an excellent experience. The additional gratuity is completely optional.

If you have any additional questions about our service charge, please contact us at info@zenboxizakaya.com.