Officials at Shake Shack may literally be shaking as a viral TikTok video shows the popular fast-food chain apparently hiking the price of items instantly if customers choose not to leave a tip.
“My wife says that if you don’t tip at Shake Shack, they make it more expensive per item, so we’re about to find out,” said B.D. Powell who posted the clip on Saturday after patronizing the Salt Lake City airport location.
The video shows Powell and his spouse using a digital kiosk at to purchase three $5.99 Classic Shakes – a vanilla, strawberry and cookies and cream with whipped cream, for 49 cents more.
When the duo is prompted to leave a tip, they select not to leave one, producing a message indicating: “Uh Oh! There has been a pricing update on one or more of your cart items. Please review these changes in your cart.”
WATCH:
This is wild
If you don’t tip at Shake Shack the prices for each item get more expensive
If you select “No tip”
The screen tells you “Ohh ohh, there’s been a pricing update” and all items get more expensive
This is should be a class a action lawsuit and they should face fines… pic.twitter.com/5gjPzYv6Yn
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) August 9, 2026
“Every item just went up by 50 cents,” Powell laments, as he issued a warning to other potential customers: “Making sure everybody knows: Do not go there.”
Shake Shack posted a response on Powell’s TikTok page, stating: “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. This is not a Shake Shack policy, and we’re currently looking into it with our licensee, HMSHost, that operates the Salt Lake City airport location and kiosk system.”
An annual study by Popmenu, a large majority of consumers at 78% say tipping practices at various establishments have become “ridiculous,” and 44% report tipping less this year than last year.
Wall Street Apes on X noted the Shake Shack incident should provoke a class-action lawsuit, saying: “They should face fines from regulatory agencies. This is such a big controversy that Shake Shack responded and said this isn’t their policy and they’re looking into it. But it’s right here. The proof is right in front of us. Clearly it’s not just one location, I’m sure it’s happening with his multiple businesses all over America.”
Others opined:
“Why is there a tip prompt at all on fast food? Tips are supposed to be given for quality food and service, neither have been seen at that point.”
“If I’m putting in my own order, I’m not tipping. What a scam.”
“I stopped going to Shake Shack when they announced their management program would be 60% NON-white. 60% of their best jobs reserved for < 40% of the population. Too racist for me.”
“All this kiosk and digital stuff is just for plausible deniability so they can pretend like it was just a program. They can do anything they want now. They can change the prices for different people and all they gotta say is sorry the program glitched. Plausible deniability, that’s what runs the world nowadays.”
“I waited on tables when I was young and I got paid well because I worked hard. You shouldn’t get a tip if you’re not offering a service and you should never have to tip before you receive that service!”
“Who TF is going to tip a f***ing screen? It’s not even a person. F*** that.”
“Simple, leave a penny. But agreed just don’t go there.”
“You’re gonna love surveillance pricing – and better yet, surveillance wages.”
“If you tap the screen to order industrial slop in plastic, you deserve everything that follows.”
How the cashiers be looking at you when you pay pic.twitter.com/fLRBNXr63R
— Trader Joe (@trader_joeCO) August 9, 2026
Follow Joe on X @JoeKovacsNews
