Restaurateurs tick off a long list of reasons for being drawn to the idea. In some cities like New York, where tipping is subject to a confusing welter of federal, state and local regulations and tax laws, eliminating it would simplify bookkeeping. Managers say it would also allow them to better calibrate wages to reward employees based on the length of their service and the complexity of their jobs.

Several also cited research showing that diners tend to tip black servers less and that the system can encourage sexual harassment of women.

There's a lot of good sense here, both from a business and labor standpoint. There have always been real, pocketbook issues related to tipping from an employee point of view - especially for those who don't reap the benefits of a customer-supplemented income. The business owners have issues trying to compensate employees fairly, even as the current system makes it more difficult to balance that against the bottom line. Unfortunately, it seems the idea of replacing the inconsistency of gratuities with the substance of an hourly wage hike through increased pricing has one major problem:

The No. 1 complaint from customers? The prohibition on tips. So while the menu still states that prices include service, the credit card slips now have a line that reads: “If you INSIST on leaving a tip, write it here.”