According to Rafael Jimenez Rivera, GM at Hook and Ladder, the way tips are dispersed among workers is unfair.  He said:

“The system is broken. It’s a flawed system that needs to be corrected.  We feel that the best way to do that is to include the kitchen staff.”

As such, from next year, all kitchen workers will be pulled into the tips that are given to bartenders and servers.  This follows the budget bill passed by Congress earlier in 2018, permitting restaurants in some states (California being one example) to pool tips with kitchen staff.

So from 2019 2.5 percent of the tip will be added to the bill exclusively for kitchen staff.  Regular tip from customers will be split between all workers which is likely to provide a 10-15% pay hike for kitchen staff.