For years, Serena Thomas has depended on tips to make ends meet.
But the restaurant worker said there's a downside, it can encourage sexual harassment by customers who think a server who relies on tips will not complain.
"You know that they tip really well because they're a regular but also you now that they're going to be a little bit creepy with you at the same time,” she said.
Thomas backs a so-called "one fair wage" plan requiring employers to pay service workers the minimum wage of $15 an hour, before tips.
Under current law, employers only have to pay tipped employees $10 an hour, if those workers earn at least five dollars an hour in tips.
Worker advocates, joined by celebrities like Amy Poehler and Amy Schumer are campaigning for the change, saying unscrupulous employers, are not just harassing customers, but also exploit tipped workers.
"They're having to tolerate inappropriate customer behavior to feed their families in tips,” said Restaurant Opportunities Center United President Saru Jayaraman. “Also suffering from very high levels of wage theft and tip theft."
But the "one fair wage" campaign has created an unexpected split.
Some tipped workers want to keep the current "tip credit" current system and fear one fair wage will force service businesses to cut hours and jobs.
"There were many times that I worked over 40 hours but that won't happen again,” said Acieli Filipe, a waitress at Lido in Harlem.
Some restauranteurs said that's exactly what will happen, after the state raised the city's minimum wage in stages to $15 an hour in December from 11 more than two years ago.
“If we lose the tip credit, restaurants are going to be forced to find new ways to operate their restaurant, using iPads, using self-serving kiosks,” said restauranteur Charles Milite.
"If restaurants lose the tip credit, they're going to have to significantly increase menu prices, and if they significantly increase menu prices, people dine out less,” said NYC Hospitality Alliance Director Andrew Rigie.
But Andrew Tarlow, who owns several popular Brooklyn restaurants, supports One Fair Wage, reasoning that if all restaurant owners pay higher salaries, they could all raise menu prices together.
"We do need to pay our employees more money and New York State and New York City is a very expensive place to live,” he said.
Governor Cuomo has asked the Labor Department to review the tip credit law.
The agency has held hearings and is still reviewing the testimony.
For now, indecision is on the menu.