With the projected arrival of 3 million international tourists to the Boston area for this summer’s World Cup, local restaurants are bracing for a dramatic increase in traffic, especially those close to the action in Foxborough (population: 18,600).
To mitigate some of the strain, some restaurateurs are contemplating a temporary policy: enforced gratuity.
Restaurant owners say that a built-in tip could speed up service during busy lunch or dinner hours. But there’s also a cultural component: Some worry that World Cup attendees coming from countries where restaurant tipping isn’t standard might not compensate their servers adequately.
Union Straw, an American restaurant in Foxborough, is one of the restaurants considering implementing enforced gratuity. For them, it’s about ensuring they can deliver the quickest service possible.
“As we sit here and try to figure out how we’re going to be the most prepared for what’s to come, I felt like [enforced gratuity] could really speed things up and streamline things,” said director of operations Craig Carreira. “When people are trying to get to [World Cup] games, they sometimes lose track of time and the next thing you know it’s ‘We have to go.’”
Other restaurant operators, however, may be more concerned with upholding the 20 percent tip that their staff is accustomed to.
“Tipping customs vary from state to state and from country to country. There’s no hard and fast rule,” said Stephen Clark, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. “I’ve spoken to a couple of restaurants and they said they would probably implement a mandatory gratuity because the guests coming are not used to such a thing.”
For restaurants who do decide to enforce gratuity, Clark emphasized that the policy will be communicated clearly.
“They’re going to point it out to the guests and say it’s there and make sure they’re not double tipping,” he said.
Many restaurants in and around Foxborough haven’t yet decided what they’re going to do. “We’re headed in [the mandatory gratuity] direction,” said Steve Anderson, owner of Cassarino’s in Providence. “However, we’re working on what the literature and communication to both the guests and obviously to our employees would look like.”
Still, he’s wary of the unintended consequences that a mandatory tip line could have. “Not speaking for my staff, but just in general, [there are concerns] that the service might not be as good,” he said. The mentality might be “‘Eh, I’m going to get 20% no matter what.’ So you don’t go above and beyond.”
Enforced gratuity isn’t the only way restaurants are looking to speed up operations. Union Straw is making tweaks across the board to accommodate the expected increase in customers.
“We’re going to be working with some limited, special menus that are going to be geared towards a ‘Welcome to New England’ theme,” Carreira said. The menu will highlight the region’s rich seafood history through New England staples including clam chowder, lobster rolls, and an ahi BLT. “We’re also going to probably cut back on some of our reservations to accommodate more walk-ins,” Carreira added.
At Cassarino’s, Anderson is hoping to secure permanent outdoor seating during the World Cup, which would add 60 seats to the restaurant’s already-large indoor capacity. To accommodate the increased traffic, Anderson hopes to hire additional staff during the summer and extend the hours of operation.
However, there’s only so much planning that can be done in advance. For Anderson, the key to success as a restaurant owner during the World Cup is adaptability.
“I wish I knew more,” he said, “but it’s the unknown, and we’re just going to do what we do and make adjustments on the fly.”
Gitana Savage can be reached at gitana.savage@globe.com. Follow her on X @gitana_savage.