starter instead of an entree. “Finally, the language. Attracting international visitors, let’s say it’s Argentina, they’re Spanish speakers, then a restaurant will want to be kind of prepared for that, I think, as best they can.” So, maybe more pictures? “Yeah.” Any major pitfalls to avoid? “Watch out for price gouging. One thing: food is a very important way to get people to want to come back and experience new things. So even though they might think these are just one-off visi- tors, a large proportion of them will choose to come back and ex- plore the destination again. “So, that reputation, if you’re seen as ripping off the customers, then these days of social media, that will get around pretty fast.” What about tipping? Americans tip more than other parts of the world, right? “Yes, certainly. All the places I’ve lived previously around the world certainly did not have 20% or higher as a standard. So I think it’s hard to understand how these international visitors will ap- proach it; they’ll bring their own value sets. So forcing it down their throats is not going to go well. And if we’re relying exclusively on technology, they may hesitate. So I think giving diner-friendly ad- vice or messaging about tips is greatly appreciated, but not com- pulsory.” Hum. That’s a tough one because even most Americans think tipping has gotten out of hand. “I think visitors will generally be in a generous mood because it’s a whole celebratory environment, but if they’re used to just round- ing out ... like when I lived in Australia and we didn’t have tipping, typically it was just rounding up, not adding 20%. So make guests feel very welcome, remember they’re out of their comfort zone, but are excited, of course.” But no one wants to be made a sucker at any point, like tipping on top of a tip. Or a diner walking out without tipping. I feel like it’s going to be on restaurants to be really clear and transparent, right? “Yes, if you’ve got larger groups and then there’s already 20% on top, then asking for tips beyond that is almost price gouging. It’s taking advantage of the vulnerability of the visitors. “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to really show ser- vice excellence and to really present Texas in a really positive way. And I remember Dallas hosted the World Cup in 1994, almost 30 years ago, Texas was half the population then. It’s much more so- phisticated now. The culinary scene is much, much richer now, so it’s onwards and upwards.” Lauren Drews Daniels Local Argentina fans celebrate a World Cup win in 2022. Mike Brooks 16 DALLAS OBSERVER • CRAVE 2026
