I think tipping is so culturally engrained in America that the odds of us completely switching to a gratuity-included system is about the same as switching to d

I think tipping is so culturally engrained in America that the odds of us completely switching to a gratuity-included system is about the same as switching to driving on the left side of the road. Americans will always lament tipping, but Americans will always view tipping as leverage over the restaurant. Americans want to have their cake and eat it too (no pun intended). I certainly want to see the practice end--I'm constantly reminded by Larry David's awkward tipping interactions in Curb Your Enthusiasm. Ending tipping will require a lot of mindshare among restaurants for it to work. For the most part, these restaurants are special snowflakes, and I don't think the practice will become mainstream anytime soon.