How a Local Pie Shop Used a No-Tipping Model to Retain Staff

Small Business Success with Fexingo: Local Companies, Main Street Stories, and Community Commerce · Jul 6, 2026 · 7m · transcript

This episode dives into the story of a local pie shop in Portland, Oregon, that scrapped tipping and raised prices by 15 percent to pay staff a living wage. Owner Maria Gonzalez found that tip volatility caused 40 percent annual turnover in her kitchen. By switching to a no-tipping model with transparent pricing and a service charge, she cut turnover to under 10 percent and saw revenue grow 12 percent as customer satisfaction improved. Lucas and Luna break down the math, the psychology, and whether this model works beyond pie shops. They also explore the broader trend of service-inclusive…