While there's very little questioning the reason we have the automatic gratuity, there are a sprinkling of customers, or would be customers giving Shiny Moon Cafe some bad reviews online.
Here's what's up and how it came to be.
After a few months of being open, we became aware that customers weren't leaving tips.
A lot of it came simply out of not realizing that you couldn't leave a tip after your meal.
In order to keep a solid staff, I had to make some decisions.
Shiny Moon pays a good wage, but it's not enough to survive in Door County, especially when we are a seasonal tourist destination, and money needs to be made between May and October. Once November hits you pray that you socked enough away to survive through the end of April.
I did some research and spoke with quite a few local restaurant owners and found I was not alone in this problem. Several restaurants began implementing an auto gratuity, some up to 25%.
We began the15% auto about three years ago. It began to work and we also included an opportunity to add more if you felt so moved.
When you visit Shiny Moon Cafe, you'll get in line and order. The barista is going to make the best drink they possibly can, with care and love. If you're eating with us, the barista will bring your drinks to your table. After the food has been ordered, we make it and bring it to you.
We serve on plates, with special attention to presentation. There are bus tubs, but it you don't feel like bussing your own table, we'll clean it up,
We have our coffee roasted locally at Isley Coffee Company.
Eggs and ham are organic and come from Waseda Farms.
During the season, our vegetables come from Hidden Acres in Sister Bay and other small local farms.
80% of what you're eating or drinking has been made by us. That pork sandwhich for example... we slow cook the pork overnight. Biscuits are made fresh every morning. The sriracha slaw and sauce has been blended and chopped by us.
The bakery is made by two of us.
We don't unscrew bottles of syrups and pop a pump in the top, we make all of those syrups for your drinks ourselves.
We pride ourselves on the quality of food and drink we serve, even when it would be so much easier to pop open bags of frozen items, heat them up and call it a day.
Door County is run by an underground of the most important people that are also taken for granted the most. Servers and small business owners. Tip your server. Tell someone the food was delicious. If that kayak tour was great, tip that guide.
Most everyone that serves and works here is not only doing it to get some kind of quality of life they deserve and find elusive, but also for you. For you so it's here year after year. Trust me, especially here at Shiny Moon Cafe, we're not trying to gouge you or hide anything. We're trying to create an experience that makes you happy you were here.
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