💸🙄 We’re at our tipping point

It’s Wednesday, Boston.

🥣 It’s also Chowder Day. That’s Legal Sea Foods’ annual “holiday,” where they offer $1 cups and $2 bowls of clam chowder — including take-out. There are also discounted quarts and gallons of the stuff, if you’re into that.

🎁 And it’s B-Sider Anna Frazier’s b-day! Happy birthday! We can’t think of anyone more worthy of sharing Chowder Day. 

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Gov. Healey’s MBTA money move

• Mayor Wu’s new baby!

• New Hampshire DOT goes rogue

Up first…

MONEY

The tip of the iceberg

POV: You visit a fast-casual cafe for a quick grab-and-go bite. You tap your card to pay. But then, the cashier flips the screen toward you, with options for a tip. Not sure what to do? You’re not alone.

💸 Tipping culture has changed. Since the pandemic, we’ve seen two big differences in the way Americans are being asked to tip, according to Shubhranshu Singh, a professor at Johns Hopkins business school. Not only are we being asked to tip at businesses we aren’t used to (think: Subway, grocery stores), but the default tip options have crept up, often starting closer to 20% or 22%.

💳 Why? Thank new tech and the pandemic. Adding the option to tip or increasing the default tip choices were natural ways to generate extra cashflow during the pandemic, Singh said. Eager to help, customers responded. Plus, thanks to companies like Square, businesses were able to implement the nudge to tip with nothing more than the swivel of an iPad (IYKYK). 

😳 These days, there’s another … social factor at play. So why are we still tipping 25% on a cup of coffee years later, after many of us are tipped out? The answer is likely awkwardness. “[Not tipping] can be a hard choice to make when someone is literally staring at your finger,” etiquette expert Thomas Farley said. “There’s … a lot of social stigma there.” Singh agreed, citing a study that found people are much less likely to tip an Uber (which can be done alone, after the fact) than to tip a taxi driver (often done in person, with the driver watching). 

😮‍💨 But ultimately, social pressure shouldn’t drive your tip. Customers “should not feel guilted into it,” Farley said. Tipping at fast-casual spots should be an indicator of great service, not a baseline expectation. While tipping if you think the service is great or you have the cash is nice, “there shouldn't be any hesitation in choosing that no tip [button],” Singh said, or taking a few extra seconds to customize your tip amount. 

☕ OK, but is someone going to spit in my latte? We chatted with four current and former employees at fast-casual spots, from ice cream shops to coffee houses. The consensus: Tipping is appreciated (especially since it can boost wages) but not necessary — and no hospitality worker worth their salt will make you think otherwise. “I would not get mad at a person for not tipping, but I do think it's … better to tip. I would be happy if someone did,” former Blue Bottle Coffee employee Jack Charles said.

QUICK QUESTION!

🤑 How much would you tip for your average coffee or latte?

TOGETHER WITH VERMONT TOURISM

There’s snow better time to visit Vermont

❄️ ☕ The holiday travel rush has settled, which means it’s finally your time to enjoy winter magic (minus the crowds). Get your fill of fresh snow, breathtaking mountain views, and a much-needed break from the everyday noise in New England’s ultimate winter destination. Whether you’re shredding the slopes, snowshoeing through the stillness, or sipping something warm by the fire, Vermont is a place to rejuvenate and enjoy the season’s best. Book your getaway now and experience another side of winter in New England.

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🚇 Gov. Maura Healey wants to make some serious MBTA money moves. On Tuesday, Gov. Healey announced her strategy to tackle the agency’s many money troubles as part of a larger plan for $8 billion in statewide transportation investments. And step one = stabilize. A.k.a. Give the agency the cash to close its $700 million-plus operating deficit by tapping into a greater share of the “millionaires tax,” and more than double its operating budget (again) in FY26. Some transit advocates are skeptical, but it’s the Legislature who will decide if it’s a go.

🍼 Welcome to the world, Mira Wu Pewarski! At about 2 p.m. on Monday, Mayor Michelle Wu gave birth to her third child, a baby girl. Little Mira came in at 8 pounds, 4 ounces, and 20 inches, and both mom and baby are happy and healthy. Wu is Boston’s first mayor to deliver a child while in office. She has said that she doesn’t plan to take a formal maternity leave, but will make “slight adjustments,” like working from home more while she recovers and Mira settles in. Congratulations, Wu family!

🍸 The state has some recs for curbing drink spiking. Hint: It’s not test kits or color-changing nail polish. Back in 2023, the state Legislature asked the Department of Public Health to investigate how to prevent drink spiking. Its findings: Personal test kits and nail polish tests can give false results, and don’t work well on a large scale due to differences in environment (some may only work in plastic cups, for example). Instead, it recommends public awareness campaigns and prevention training for hospitality staff. 

✈️ Your European getaway just got 20% cheaper. No joke! Low-cost airline PLAY (which operates out of Logan) launched a sale on some spring and summer flights to Europe. Travelers can snag 20% off flights to certain European destinations, including Amsterdam, Berlin, Dublin, Copenhagen, Iceland, London, and Paris. The deal applies to flights between May 5 to 23, May 25 to 31, or July 5 to Sept. 27, and runs through Jan. 19. Bon voyage!

GIVEAWAY

Together with Puppies&Yoga Boston

Enter to win two spots to a Puppies&Yoga Boston class here. To enter, just refer a friend and have them accept your invite by the end of the day on Jan. 15. If you have already referred a friend to B-Side (and they’ve accepted), you're eligible! Full details below*

18+. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Limit one entry per person. See Official Rules & an additional entry option here.

ONE LAST THING

New Hampshire DOT goes rogue

A routine post from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation reads a little something like this: “Morning Weather Update. Tomorrow morning brings chilly temps and slippery roads due to snow until 2 PM.”

But on Saturday morning, one of its updates took an … interesting tonal change. 

It read: “Skibbity Weather Warning: Roads Are Slippery Sus This Morning! Locked In Alert: It’s giving Ick vibes this morning, Fam. … Stay woke and locked in. … Watch for icy spots, especially on bridges—they’re sus. … Don’t let the drip (of ice) mess with your Rizz!” 

And that's not including emojis. Or the Skibidi Toilet image they added. Even weirder: The department’s posts have since returned to normal, with absolutely zero indication of why that happened … or if it’ll ever happen again.

— Written by Gia Orsino

❄️ Thanks for reading! I’m not proud that I laughed … but I did.

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, Vermont Tourism, for supporting local journalism and giving New Englanders a reason to look forward to winter. 

🎒 The results are in: 35% of readers say they’d most want a tote bag as B-Side merch. So many of you wrote in fabulous suggestions (and we have filed them away for … the future). One reader said: “booty shorts to show my personal B-side ;).” Respectfully, no, lol. But we love the enthusiasm! 

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