NYC restaurants using $3.25-an-hour Zoom cashiers from the Philippines while asking locals for 18% tips.

Multiple restaurants in New York City have found a way around paying the minimum wage

They are hiring virtual cashiers from the Philippines via zoom calls and only have to pay them $3.25 per hour

The locations doing this still ask for 18% tips on orders

Sansan Chicken, Sansan Ramen, and Yaso Kitchen locations in Manhattan, Queens, and Jersey City still prompt customers for 18% tips.

$1.00 usd is worth 58.92 Philippines peso
Things you can buy with 58.92 Philippines peso pic.twitter.com/hkxhAb0nQy

— Team Bigg Clay (@BiggClayMusic) November 13, 2025

According to Pie, one of the chain’s remote workers who has been on the job for about six months now, she was employed by a company called Happy Cashier. Although she said she enjoyed her job, she did not disclose her salary to a reporter for the New York Post.
Despite the absence of in-person service, the 33-year-old also revealed that customers are required to add a tip of up to 18% on top of their bill. She noted that some leave generous amounts, which she splits with her manager and kitchen staff.
The details of this arrangement, including ownership of the restaurants and the workers’ compensation, remain unclear. But the Post noted that the same setup also takes place at Sansan Ramen, Sansan Chicken or Yaso Kitchen locations in Manhattan, Queens and Jersey City.