All about our kitchen appreciation fee

At Ula, we automatically add a 3% kitchen appreciation fee to all orders at Ula. This fee can be removed if you like.

When we became new owners of Ula in June of 2021, we wanted to create a space that not only fed our neighbors well and brought our community together, but provided a fair and equitable workplace for our employees.

You may not know this (it was a surprise to us too when we started here), but despite the fact that both our Front of House (FOH) and Back of House (BOH) teams work together everyday to create the seamless experience you’re receiving at Ula, it’s actually against Massachusetts law to tip back-of-house employees. That creates a significant earning gap on our team that small businesses like ours struggle to fill.

This gap isn’t just experienced at Ula. It happens across the country. It’s the source of the fascinating book Front of the House, Back of the House: Race and Inequality in the Lives of Restaurant Workers, written by Eli Revelle Yano Wilson. Wilson also notes significant economic and racial disparities between FOH and BOH, further cementing the division.

Our goal is to give our employees livable wages that support them in their career goals and growth and to continue to build a team that works together and in support of each other.

We are endlessly grateful to the customers who have encouraged us to add a kitchen appreciation fee and who have asked who our tips benefit. You have given us the courage to take this next step!

We deeply appreciate your support of our business, our team, and our mission.

In community,

Beth and Marvin

Ula Café owners