Here’s a news tip for you: restaurant servers, bartenders, baristas and other service industry workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic could really use your help during the closure of the places where they work.
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So, a virtual tip jar has been put out by two tech workers looking to help people share in a small act of kindness.
Seattle Tip Jar is a website with a running list of service industry workers who have been laid off or furloughed ever since Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued a statewide emergency proclamation shutting restaurants, bars and entertainment facilities.
The site was built by Matt Bowers and Justin Farris. The two previously worked at Zillow in Seattle and have since moved on — Bowers does SEO work at Zapier and Farris leads product teams at Gitlab.
A co-worker of Bowers’ set up the same type of site in Portland, so the two were inspired to get to work for Seattle’s community of service workers. The Portland site was open-sourced and people behind that effort offered their help to get Seattle Tip Jar running.
There are currently 163 people “looking for tips” on the site, where visitors are encouraged to drop a buck or $5, $10, $20 — whatever they like — using methods such as Venmo or PayPal. The response in just a few days has been overwhelmingly positive, according to Farris.
“Our goal was really to facilitate direct connections between tippers and individuals in need of tips (vs processing transactions and distributing funds ourselves),” Farris said via email. “We’re thrilled to see that catch on and hear how users love that it enables them to find people in their community to help.”
Farris and Bowers have gotten the word out by leveraging their personal networks and doing some outreach to restaurant owners. And there’s been some pickup on social media once a few people started getting tipped. A story on the news site My Ballard helped spread the word in that restaurant- and bar-heavy neighborhood.
Since the transaction occurs directly between individuals through payment apps, there’s no way to tell exactly how much has been tipped. But Farris said site analytics show roughly 30 tips happen per day and he’s heard from a handful of recipients that tips are typically between $5 and $10.
The hope is that users will make it a recurring gesture, by “taking the pledge” to tip someone each time they enjoy a meal or drink that they wish they could have had out on the town.
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It’s a ritual that the two friends miss as much as everyone else in Seattle and across the country. Both formerly worked in restaurants and empathize with the industry’s situation during the coronavirus outbreak. Helping restaurant, bar and coffee workers was a natural fit.
“Typically, Matt and I would meet up in person once a week to work together at a local bar, brewery or restaurant,” Farris said. “Since Gov. Inslee issued the stay home order, we started meeting virtually and began discussing how we could use our skills and time together to help out those in need.”
