"Shocked After One Cup of Coffee"... Even a Famous Singer Finally Blows Up Over the '$14' Price

Harry Styles Criticizes New York Coffee Prices at Concert
Voices Frustration Over 22%-24% Tip Requests

British pop star Harry Styles has voiced his frustration with New York City's exorbitant prices. A cappuccino costs as much as $10, and customers are also asked to leave a tip of 22% to 24% during checkout.

According to the New York Post on November 4, Styles recently wrapped up a 30-show run at Madison Square Garden in New York and publicly criticized the city's coffee prices and tipping culture.

The photo is unrelated to the specific content of the article. Pixabay

Dressed as Elvis Presley, he told the audience at his Halloween show that he had been charged $10 for a cappuccino while staying in New York. Styles said, "New York, we love you. The scariest thing about this city this Halloween is the price of caffeinated drinks. It's astronomical. It's out of control. It has to stop."

He also took issue with baristas asking for tips after customers paid for their coffee. Styles said, "They turn the payment screen around, and it shows a tip of 22% or 24%." His remarks spread across social media.

Coffee Prices Plus Tips... The Burden of New York's Cost of Living

Coffee prices in New York are indeed quite high. The New York Post reported that, based on prices at major coffee chains, a cappuccino costs $6.12 (8,200 won) at Blank Street and $5.45 (7,300 won) at Starbucks. A 12-ounce coffee at Blue Bottle costs as much as $7.50 (10,000 won).

Coffee prices across the United States are also continuing to rise. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average price of 1 pound of ground coffee in U.S. urban areas was $9.33 (12,500 won) in September last year. That was a 91% increase compared with 2020.

In addition to the cost of coffee, the practice of asking for tips during checkout is also adding to consumers' financial burden. In recent years, tip prompts have appeared on kiosks and digital payment terminals, leaving consumers increasingly fatigued.

According to a survey by Popmenu, a well-known technology platform for the U.S. restaurant industry, 78% of respondents said tipping practices had become unreasonable, while 74% felt that digital payment screens encouraged customers to leave larger tips.

Pop star Harry Styles. Styles' Instagram

New Yorkers: "He's Not Exactly in a Position to Complain About Coffee Prices"

However, New Yorkers reacted coolly to Styles' complaints. One resident pointed out that Styles is a famous singer with assets worth tens of billions of won. Styles is reportedly living in a luxury apartment in New York's Tribeca neighborhood valued at $8.71 million (approximately 11.7 billion won). The resident said, "If you can afford to stay in Tribeca, leaving a tip shouldn't be a problem."

The earnings from Styles' performances also came under scrutiny. His revenue from a month of performances was estimated at approximately $200 million (268.4 billion won). General admission tickets for the "Harryween" show held on October 31 started at $349 (470,000 won), while special packages for the 30-show run at Madison Square Garden cost up to $1,000 (1.34 million won).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.