Coffee shops
Coverage of Coffee shops in the Nexus archive.
- America needs to stop turning every purchase into an uncomfortable tip request
The article analyzes how tipping, once a reward for exceptional service, has become an uncomfortable financial expectation across various American transactions. It argues that businesses are utilizing digital payment screens as behavioral marketing tools to make it difficult for customers to opt out, thereby allowing them to pass higher labor costs onto consumers without transparently raising their prices. Tipping now permeates almost every corner of life, from coffee shops and bakeries to airport kiosks.
- Navigating the tipping minefield: As Gordon Ramsay slaps diners with an 'optional' 20% charge and coffee shops and gyms demand US-style gratuities, MARK PALMER reveals all
Gordon Ramsay's restaurant has introduced an 'optional' 20% tip charge, sparking controversy, while coffee shops and gyms in the UK are also adopting US-style gratuity demands. Mark Palmer discusses the implications of this shift in tipping practices.
- Independent bookstores make quiet comeback as big chains dominate retail
In 2025, 422 new independent bookstores opened in the U.S., marking a 31% increase from 2024, according to the American Booksellers Association. Despite predictions of retail consolidation led by Amazon and big chains, independent bookstores and other small businesses like restaurants and coffee shops are thriving.