Britain's restaurants are creaming off millions of pounds of customers' tips to boost their profits, an investigation by The Independent has found. A series of legal ploys are being used by major companies including Strada, PizzaExpress and Carluccio's to take a slice of the £4bn a year that diners leave for low-paid staff in tips. Today, The Independent launches a campaign toimprove the treatment of the country's 231,845 waiters and waitresses - and ensure that customers know where their money is going when they leave a tip. Most restaurant customers believe staff receive the tips or service charge as a reward for good service. But our investigation has discovered that tips left by diners are being regularly used to pay basic wages, or meet costs. Among the practices, TheIndependent found:
Britain's restaurants are creaming off millions of pounds of customers' tips to boost their profits, an investigation by The Independent has found.
A series of legal ploys are being used by major companies including Strada, PizzaExpress and Carluccio's to take a slice of the £4bn a year that diners leave for low-paid staff in tips.
Today, The Independent launches a campaign toimprove the treatment of the country's 231,845 waiters and waitresses - and ensure that customers know where their money is going when they leave a tip.
Most restaurant customers believe staff receive the tips or service charge as a reward for good service. But our investigation has discovered that tips left by diners are being regularly used to pay basic wages, or meet costs.
Among the practices, TheIndependent found:
Even if I pay by card, I always tip in cash. In fact, I often decline to pay the service charge, while leaving an equivalent cash tip. I'm sure restaurant managers hate this practice, but I've never known a waiter to argue...
What if "eating local" in Shanghai or New York meant getting your fresh produce from five blocks away? And what if skyscrapers grew off the grid, as verdant, self-sustaining towers where city slickers cultivated their own food? Dr. Dickson Despommier, a professor of public health at Columbia University, hopes to make these zucchini-in-the-sky visions a reality. Despommier's pet project is the "vertical farm," a concept he created in 1999 with graduate students in his class on medical ecology, the study of how the environment and human health interact. The idea, which has captured the imagination of several architects in the United States and Europe in the past several years, just caught the eye of another big city dreamer: Scott Stringer, the Manhattan borough president in New York. When Stringer heard about the concept in June, he said he immediately pictured a "food farm" addition to the New York City skyline. "Obviously we don't have vast amounts of vacant land," he said in a phone interview. "But the sky is the limit in Manhattan." Stringer's office is "sketching out what it would take to pilot a vertical farm," and plans to pitch a feasibility study to the mayor's office within the next couple of months, he said. "I think we can really do this," he added. "We could get the funding."
What if "eating local" in Shanghai or New York meant getting your fresh produce from five blocks away? And what if skyscrapers grew off the grid, as verdant, self-sustaining towers where city slickers cultivated their own food?
Dr. Dickson Despommier, a professor of public health at Columbia University, hopes to make these zucchini-in-the-sky visions a reality. Despommier's pet project is the "vertical farm," a concept he created in 1999 with graduate students in his class on medical ecology, the study of how the environment and human health interact.
The idea, which has captured the imagination of several architects in the United States and Europe in the past several years, just caught the eye of another big city dreamer: Scott Stringer, the Manhattan borough president in New York.
When Stringer heard about the concept in June, he said he immediately pictured a "food farm" addition to the New York City skyline. "Obviously we don't have vast amounts of vacant land," he said in a phone interview. "But the sky is the limit in Manhattan." Stringer's office is "sketching out what it would take to pilot a vertical farm," and plans to pitch a feasibility study to the mayor's office within the next couple of months, he said.
"I think we can really do this," he added. "We could get the funding."
There are only about 200 white lions in the world, and seven of them were just born at the end of June in a German safari park. The white balls of fluff have been presented to the public for the first time. It was a surprise even for the zoo directors. At the very end of last month, two rare white lion females at the Stukenbrock Safari Park near Dortmund gave birth at the exact same time. The result? Seven tiny white lion cubs joining a worldwide population of roughly 200. The babies, four males and three females, were born to five-year-old twin sisters, Kibo and Mawensi, who were also born in the park. Kibo immediately began caring for her offspring, but Mawensi seemed uninterested, forcing zookeepers to step in and raise her four cubs by hand.
There are only about 200 white lions in the world, and seven of them were just born at the end of June in a German safari park. The white balls of fluff have been presented to the public for the first time.
It was a surprise even for the zoo directors. At the very end of last month, two rare white lion females at the Stukenbrock Safari Park near Dortmund gave birth at the exact same time. The result? Seven tiny white lion cubs joining a worldwide population of roughly 200.
The babies, four males and three females, were born to five-year-old twin sisters, Kibo and Mawensi, who were also born in the park. Kibo immediately began caring for her offspring, but Mawensi seemed uninterested, forcing zookeepers to step in and raise her four cubs by hand.
Ryanair, Europe's largest low fares airline today (15 July) announced substantial capacity reductions at its Dublin base for the coming winter schedule (08/09). Compared to winter 2007, when Ryanair operated 22 aircraft, and over 1,350 weekly flights, Ryanair's schedule at Dublin this winter will be reduced to 18 based aircraft and less than 1,200 weekly flights. This represents an 18% reduction in based aircraft, and an approximate 12% reduction in weekly flights. Ryanair estimates that its traffic at Dublin Airport this winter will decline by some 500,000 passengers compared to last winter's schedule.
Compared to winter 2007, when Ryanair operated 22 aircraft, and over 1,350 weekly flights, Ryanair's schedule at Dublin this winter will be reduced to 18 based aircraft and less than 1,200 weekly flights.
This represents an 18% reduction in based aircraft, and an approximate 12% reduction in weekly flights. Ryanair estimates that its traffic at Dublin Airport this winter will decline by some 500,000 passengers compared to last winter's schedule.
But the best bit of this press release is at the end, a comment by Ryanair's Chief Executive, Michael O'Leary:
"I have little doubt that Ireland and its tourism industry is facing a catastrophe over the coming year. Traffic growth at Dublin will be ended by this combination of a rapacious Government monopoly, and an inadequate, useless Aviation Regulator. The sooner both of these are done away with and replaced with competing facilities at Dublin Airport, then the sooner Dublin can return to traffic growth, lower costs and more efficient passenger friendly facilities".
Traffic growth at Dublin will be ended by this combination of a rapacious Government monopoly, and an inadequate, useless Aviation Regulator.
The sooner both of these are done away with and replaced with competing facilities at Dublin Airport, then the sooner Dublin can return to traffic growth, lower costs and more efficient passenger friendly facilities".
When you're riding the boom, talk deregulation up as responsible for the good times.
When you're down with the bust, talk regulation down as responsible for the bad times.
5 Random Solar-Related Facts 1. World energy consumption is expected to increase 40% to 50% by the year 2010, and the global mix of fuels--renewables (18%), nuclear (4%), and fossil (78%)--is projected to remain substantially the same as today; thus global carbon dioxide emissions would also increase 50% to 60%.2. Among industrialized and developing countries, Canada consumes per capita the most energy in the world, the United Sates ranks second, and Italy consumes the least among industrialized countries.3. Developing countries use 30% of global energy. Rapid population growth, combined with economic growth, will rapidly increase that percentage in the next 10 years.4. The World Bank estimates that investments of $1 trillion will be needed in this decade and upwards of $4 trillion during the next 30 years to meet developing countries' electricity needs alone.5. Residential appliances, including heating and cooling equipment and water heaters, consume 90% of all energy used in the U.S. residential sector.
