![#EatDownTipUp Campaign Aims to Save NYC Restaurants Post-Sandy [VIDEO]](https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/archives/02ATcs6fRN4ncq7s9UMxQJP/hero-image.fill.size_1248x702.v1647021629.jpg)
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Standard tips typically range from 15 to 20% of the bill, but one campaign hopes to push those numbers way up in Hurricane Sandy's aftermath.
The #EatDownTipUp initiative aims to help restaurants in Lower Manhattan -- many which lost power for nearly a week -- recover from the economic hit to New York after Sandy's thrashing.
To participate, people follow three simple steps, according to #EatDownTipUp's official website: eat downtown, tip generously and share the hashtag with friends.
The campaign was inspired by this tweet from celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain.
In NYC ? Eat downtown tonight! Pick a small restaurant. Tip heavily! Send a 20 back to the dishwasher!— Anthony Bourdain (@Bourdain) November 3, 2012
"From this one tweet, a movement was born and a group of renegade NYC residents banded together to help restaurants in need," the site says.
EatDownTipUp.com also links to a Foursquare page that listing restaurants in Lower Manhattan that customers can support. It also includes a page called "Restaurant Stories" that details the trials and tribulations some NYC-based eateries have endured since the storm.